Centre-du-Québec (17) Region - Socioeconomic Profile

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Region and Population

• In 2009, the Centre-du-Québec was divided into 5 RCMs and comprised 80 municipalities and two territories.
• The Centre-du-Québec covered 0.5% of the area of the Province of Quebec in 2009 (6,920.9 km²).
• With a population of 230,685 in 2009, the Centre-du-Québec accounted for 2.9% of Quebec’s population.
• The ISQ forecasts population growth (12.3%) in the Centre-du-Québec between 2006 and 2031 (+15.8% in Quebec) and aging of the population owing to
  • Natural decrease (deaths > births starting in 2022);
  • Positive inter-regional net migration.
     
• The ISQ predicts an 11.0-percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2031 in persons of working age (20-64 years), from 61.8% to 50.8%, which is lower than the Quebec percentage (-9.3 percentage points; from 63.4% to 54.1%).

Distribution of the Centre-du-Québec’s population by age

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

The Centre-du-Québec’s inter-regional net migration by age (2004-2009)

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

Labour Market

• In 2009, there were 115,800 people with jobs in the Centre-du-Québec, a 0.3% increase over 2008, and the region accounted for 3.0% of people with jobs in Quebec (3,844,200 jobs).
• In 2009, the Centre-du-Québec recorded an unemployment rate that was 1.5 percentage points lower than the Quebec average (7.0% vs. 8.5%).
• The Centre-du-Québec’s employment and labour participation rates in 2009, 61.6% and 66.3% respectively, were still higher than Quebec rates (59.7% and 65.2%).
• The ISQ anticipates increased labour scarcity in the Centre-du-Québec, forecasting that the labour replacement index will drop from 97% to 67% between 2006 and 2021 and then rise to 82% by 2031.

Economic Activities

• In 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices (in current $) was $7,565.7 M in the Centre-du-Québec region, accounting for 2.7% of Quebec’s GDP ($283,217 M).
• GDP per job, an approximation of labour productivity, was $69,836 in 2006 in the Centre-du-Québec, compared with $77,678 for all of Quebec. The Centre-du-Québec’s productivity would therefore be lower than Quebec’s.
• The key sectors in the Centre-du-Québec are:
  • Agri-food
  • Technical textile materials
  • Materials processing (rubber, plastic, composites, metal products, computer / electronic equipment)
  • Transportation equipment and machinery
  • Furniture and milled wood
  • Residual materials recovery and conversion
• The primary sector accounted for 8.1% of the workforce in the Centre-du-Québec in 2006 (compared with 2.6% in Quebec), the construction sector for 3.3% (2.9%), the manufacturing sector for 27.4% (15.4%), and the tertiary sector for 61.2% (79.0%).

In 2009, tourism in the Centre-du-Québec generated 2,100 jobs and 744 businesses were involved in the tourism sector.

• The Centre-du-Québec was visited by 919,000 tourists, who spent a total of $84 M in the region (2008).
• Although only 5.6% of tourists came from outside Quebec, they accounted for 13.5% 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:
  • Aluminerie Bécancour (aluminum production)
  • Centrale Nucléaire Gentilly 2 (electricity)
  • Olymel (food processing)
  • S.G.T. 2000 (goods transportation)
• In terms of entrepreneurship, the Centre-du-Québec had 46.8 SMEs per 1,000 residents in 2009, ranking 3rd out of 16 regions of Quebec (average of 37.6 SMEs per 1,000 residents in Quebec).

Exports

In 2007, the Centre-du-Québec had 369 exporting establishments and the value of exports was $2,572.3 M, accounting for 3.6% of Quebec exports.

• Though 94.0% of the Centre-du-Québec’s exporting establishments were SMEs, they accounted for only 67.9% of the value of exports (2007).
• The United States was the main destination for exports from the Centre-du-Québec (85.4% of the total value), followed by the European Union (6.5%), South America / Mexico (3.8%), and Japan (0.4%) (2007).

Investment, research and innovation

• Public investment virtually quadrupled in 2009 to $1,028.1 M, accounting for 48.4% of total capital expenditures in the Centre-du-Québec ($2,126.0 M). The region’s public investment comprised 5.1% of Quebec public investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, public investment grew at an average annual rate of 55.5% in the Centre-du-Québec, compared with 12.4% in Quebec.
• Private investment dropped by 5.5% in 2009 to $1,097.9 M, accounting for 51.6% of all capital expenditures in the Centre-du-Québec ($2,126.0 M). The region’s private investment accounted for 2.7% of Quebec private investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, private investment grew at an average annual rate of 2.2% in the Centre-du-Québec, 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 Centre-du-Québec:

• Centre de recherche, de développement et de transfert technologique acéricole
• Centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie (CCTT):
  • Centre d’innovation sociale en agriculture
  • EQMBO - Entreprises - Centre d'aide technique et technologique en meuble et bois ouvré

Economic Well-Being

• In 2008, the per capita GDP in the Centre-du-Québec was $32,948, that is, $3,594, or 9.8%, below the Quebec average ($36,542).
• Personal disposable income per capita for the Centre-du-Québec was $22,951 in 2008, that is, $2,553, or 10.0%, below the Quebec average ($25,504/resident). The Centre-du-Québec ranked 14th out of the 17 regions.
• In 2008, per capita government transfers to the Centre-du-Québec region ($5,796/resident) were 4.9% 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 Centre-du-Québec (14.0%) than in the province as a whole (15.2%).