Hartley Bay community members are employed in a variety of sectors, including village administration, public works and safety, social and health services, housing, treaty negotiations, education services, salmon enhancement, forestry, tourism and ecological research.

The Gitga’at people also rely on a variety of informal economic activity, harvesting wildlife, fish and non-timber forest products throughout their Territory. Many members continue to fish, hunt and harvest traditional marine and plant resources.

The Gitga’at people are continuously exploring long-term, sustainable economic development opportunities that will meet the needs and fulfill the aspirations of present and future generations. Overarching goals for all economic development in the Territory are to generate economic and employment benefits for the Gitga’at people while maintaining the area’s ecological integrity and the community’s overall well being.

The Gitga’at Development Corporation (GDC) was established in 2002 to undertake and coordinate various community economic development initiatives. In recent years key initiatives have included:

• Establishment of a Band owned forest company - Gitga'at Forestry Inc. - that will undertake management of a non-replaceable forest license
• Along with other coastal First Nation communities, exploration and development of a shellfish aquaculture business, including a Band-owned shellfish aquaculture farm
• Development of a Band-owned small-scale hydro project that will provide Hartley Bay with sufficient energy to meet the community's needs for decades to come
• Development of a tourism sector access strategy that includes partnerships with other businesses and employment and training programs