B.C.'s pulp and paper industry provides significant benefits to communities, employees, and all three levels of government. As a major economic engine for communities throughout B.C., the pulp and paper industry makes the following economic contributions:
- More than $4 billion of annual economic benefits to British Columbia.
- Over 10,000 direct jobs, and 20,000 indirect jobs from the pulp and paper industry.
- An annual industry payroll of $1 billion, making pulp and paper the second highest paying industry in the province.
- $600 million per year in contributions to all three levels of government through taxes and assessments, as well as from employees in the industry.
- The towns where pulp and paper mills are located benefit from municipal taxes and employment, as well as the industry's support of local activities and infrastructure.
- The pulp and paper industry contributes more than $1.5 billion to the solid wood sector, as the single largest customer of residual chips (by-products) from the sawmilling industry.
Source: Report on the Economic Impact of the BC Pulp and Paper Industry, PricewaterhouseCoopers, November 2007