By 1998 that number had increased to 1,880 people. With advances in computer technology these workers can now access the data they need through electronic means. A higher proportion of these workers work full time than is the case for the overall workforce. The unemployment rate in this field is lower than the average for all occupations. There is little seasonal variation in the workload because the demand for services is fairly constant throughout the year.
Work is constant even during economic slowdowns.
Many others are distributed throughout the financial departments of large companies. This is an urban occupation. Three-quarters of the workers live in the Lower Mainland. Women are somewhat underrepresented in this group. There is an almost total lack of workers under 25 because of the training and experience required to do the work.