Abitibi-Témiscamingue (08) Region - Socioeconomic Profile

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Region and Population

• In 2009, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue was divided into 5 RCMs and comprised 65 municipalities and 14 territories.
• The Abitibi-Témiscamingue covered 4.4% of the area of the Province of Quebec in 2009 (57,339.7 km²).
• With a population of 145,886 in 2009, the region accounted for 1.9% of Quebec’s population.
• The ISQ forecasts a slight population decline (-2.7%) in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue between 2006 and 2031 (+15.8% in Quebec) and aging of the population owing to
  • Natural decrease (deaths > births starting in 2024);
  • Negative inter-regional net migration (exodus of young people, workers and retirees).
• The ISQ predicts a 11.5-percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2031 in persons of working age (20-64 years), from 62.3% to 50.8%, which is lower than the Quebec percentage (-9.3 percentage points, from 63.4% to 54.1%).

Distribution of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue’s population by age

Source: Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ).

The Abitibi-Témiscamingue’s inter-regional net migration by age (2004-2009)

Source: Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ).

Labour Market

• In 2009, there were 65,500 people with jobs in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a 4.1% decrease from 2008, and the region accounted for 1.7% of people with jobs in Quebec (3,844,200 jobs).
• In 2009, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue recorded an unemployment rate that was 1.0 percentage point higher than the Quebec average (9.6% vs. 8.5%)
• The Abitibi- Témiscamingue employment and labour participation rates in 2009, 56.3% and 62.2% respectively, remained lower than Quebec rates (59.7% and 65.2%).
• The ISQ anticipates increased labour scarcity in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue, forecasting that the labour replacement index will drop from 100% to 66% between 2006 and 2021 and then rise to 85% by 2031.

Economic Activities

• In 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices (in current $) was $5,150.0 M in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, accounting for 1.8% of Quebec’s GDP ($283,217 M).
• GDP per job, an approximation of labour productivity, was $75,106 in 2006 in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue, compared with $77,678 for all of Quebec. The Abitibi-Témiscamingue‘s productivity would therefore be slightly lower than Quebec’s.
• The key sectors in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue are:
  • Agri-food
  • Forest / intensive silviculture products
  • Mining sector
  • Tourism
• The primary sector accounted for 9.6% of the workforce in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue in 2006 (compared with 2.6% in Quebec), the construction sector for 2.7% (2.9%), the manufacturing sector for 11.2% (15.4%), and the tertiary sector for 76.4% (79.0%).

In 2009, tourism in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue generated 2,800 jobs and 588 businesses were involved in the tourism sector.

• The Abitibi-Témiscamingue was visited by 388,000 tourists, who spent a total of $59 M (2008).
• Although only 20.8% of tourists came from outside Quebec, they accounted for close to 34.4% of total spending (2008).

Businesses

Distribution of businesses by size (2009)

Micro = 1-4 employees, Small = 5-19 employees, Medium = 20-199 employees, Large and very large = 200 employees or more
Source: Statistics Canada, Business Register (June 2009).

• The main non-governmental employers (500+ employees) are:
  • Construction Promec (industrial construction)
  • Xstrata (refinery)
• In terms of entrepreneurship, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue had 41.8 SMEs per 1,000 residents in 2009, ranking 6th out of 16 regions in Quebec (average of 37.6 SMEs per 1,000 residents in Quebec).

Exports

In 2007, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue had 78 exporting establishments and the value of exports was $583.7 M, accounting for 0.8% of Quebec exports.

• Though 89.7% of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue exporting establishments were SMEs, they accounted for only 47.3% of the value of exports (2007).
• For reasons of confidentiality, the ISQ does not disclose the value of exports by international destination for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. However, the United States is most likely the main destination for exports from the Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Investment, research and innovation

• Public investment increased by 44.9% in 2009 to $210.3 M, accounting for 14.5% of total capital expenditures in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue ($1,452.8 M). The region’s public investment comprised 1.0% of Quebec public investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, public investment grew at an average annual rate of 2.2% in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue, compared with 12.4% in Quebec.
• Private investment increased by 9.9% in 2009 to $1,242.4 M, accounting for 85.5% of all capital expenditures in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue ($1,452.8 M). The region’s private investment accounted for 3.1% of Quebec private investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, private investment grew at an average annual rate of 7.0% in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue, compared with 0.9% in Quebec.

Highest level of educational attainment, 25-64 years (2006)

* Diplomas or certificates from trade schools, nursing schools, community colleges, CEGEPs, university certificate below bachelor’s level, etc.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census.

Examples of research, expertise, training and technology transfer centres in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue:

• CANMET Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories  (Natural Resources Canada)
• Centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie (CCTT):
  • Centre technologique des résidus industriels
• Chairs, laboratories and working groups at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Economic Well-Being

• In 2008, the per capita GDP in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue was $35,312, that is, $1,230, or 3.4%, below the Quebec average ($36,542).
• Personal disposable income per capita for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region was $24,610 in 2008, that is, $894, or 3.5%, below the Quebec average ($25,504/resident). The Abitibi-Témiscamingue ranked 8th out of the 17 regions.
• In 2008, per capita government transfers to the Abitibi-Témiscamingue ($6,156/resident) were 11.5% higher than the Quebec average ($5,523/resident).
• However, the percentage of the population in a situation of low income after tax was lower in the region (14.5%) than in the province as a whole (15.2%).