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Penticton home to more than 3,600 businesses, 6% growth since 2021: City data

The city’s top industries of employment include health care, social assistance and retail
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New data shows that Penticton is playing a role in expanding B.C.’s small businesses community, with more than 200 opening or moving to the city over the last year.

That is a growth of six per cent since September 2021, with health care and social assistance, as well as retail trade, among the city’s top industries of employment.

As of this fall, Penticton is home to a total of 3,659 licensed businesses. One year earlier, 3,458 establishments were operational in the city.

“We’re proud of our business community, which employs thousands of people and provides essential services for our residents,” said Anthony Haddad, the city’s general manager of community services. “We’re growing, we’re attracting new businesses, and particularly with today’s global economy, big business is being conducted right here in Penticton.”

Accommodation and food services, construction, and manufacturing round out Penticton’s top five industries of employment, city-led data reveals. Nearly 15 per cent of employment opportunities in the Peach City are associated with health care and social assistance.

The statistics come just days before National Small Business Week, an annual occasion the city plans on celebrating from Oct. 16 to 22.

“The economic development department has been focused on resident and labour attraction as one of the efforts to support post-pandemic recovery,” a press release from the city reads. “As part of the process to attract investment, the city is also focusing on increasing housing stock to meet the needs of all income levels.”

A total of 520 residential units are currently under construction to meet yearly growth, according to the city, with 1,060 residential units approved and 650 units in the development application process.

In late September, the city launched a video series, Start Here Penticton, to highlight all the industries it offers. The initiative is part of the city’s five-year Economic Development Strategic Plan.

READ MORE: Want to move to Penticton? City looks to attract skilled workers outside the Okanagan


@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com