Industry Classifications
Employers registered with the WCB are assigned to one or more industry classifications based on their primary business activity(s).
SELECT A CLASSIFICATION FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sector 1 – Agriculture and Forestry
Sector 2 – Mines, Quarries and Oil Wells
Sector 5 – Transportation, Communications and Storage
Sector 8 – Public Administration
Employers who require WCB coverage are classified within one or more of the sub-groups in Industry Sectors 1 – 8. Employers in excluded industries who want to purchase optional coverage are assigned to a sub-group in Sector 9.
While the descriptions provide a brief overview of the activities in each classification, they will not include all activities.
Employers are classified according to their primary business activity(s). There may be sub-processes and workers with many different occupations working for one employer, but we don’t examine those for classification purposes. We are interested in determining the primary function of the business (i.e., revenue streams, end products, services provided, etc.).
For example, most companies employ administrative staff, but a separate classification is not provided for these employees. They contribute to the overall, main activity and are included that way.
In most circumstances, an employer is assigned to one industry classification. In very specific circumstances, an employer may qualify for an additional classification. For information on when businesses qualify for multiple classifications, please refer to WCB Policy 35.20.10, Classification of Employers into Sub-Groups and its administrative guidelines.
The rate risk category shown in each description reflects the current year only. These can change from year to year based on the experience of the employers registered under these classifications.