Côte-Nord (09) Region - Socioeconomic Profile

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Region and Population

• In 2009, the Côte-Nord was divided into 6 RCMs and comprised 33 municipalities and 20 territories.
• The Côte-Nord covered 18.0% of the area of the Province of Quebec in 2009 (236,699.6 km²).
• With a population of 95,704 in 2009, the Côte-Nord accounted for 1.2% of Quebec’s population.
• The ISQ forecasts a significant population decline (-11.6%) for the Côte-Nord between 2006 and 2031 (+15,8 % in Quebec) and aging of the population owing to
  • Natural decrease (deaths > births starting in 2027);
  • Inter-regional migration (exodus of young people, workers and retirees).
• The ISQ forecasts a 12.1-percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2031 in persons of working age (20-64 years), from 64.0% to 51.9%, which is lower than the Quebec percentage in 2031 (-9,3 percentage points, from 63.4% to 54.1%).

Distribution of Côte-Nord’s population by age

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

Côte-Nord’s inter-regional net migration by age (2004-2009)

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

Labour Market

• In 2009, there were 47,400 people with jobs in the Côte-Nord and the Nord-du-Québec, a 2.3% decrease from 2008, and the region accounted for 1.2% of people with jobs in Quebec (3,844,200 jobs).
• In 2009, the Côte-Nord and the Nord-du-Québec recorded an unemployment rate that was 1.2 percentage points higher than the Quebec average (9.7% vs. 8.5%).
• The Côte-Nord’s and the Nord-du-Quebec’s employment and labour participation rates in 2009, 53.5% and 59.2% respectively, were still lower than Quebec rates (59.7% and 65.2%).
• The ISQ anticipates increased labour scarcity in the Côte-Nord, forecasting that the labour replacement index will drop from 98% to 65% between 2006 and 2021 and then rise to 83% by 2031.

Economic Activities

• In 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices (in current $) was $4,591.3 M in the Côte-Nord region, accounting for 1.6% of Quebec’s GDP ($283,217 M).
• GDP per job, an approximation of labour productivity, was $103,208 in 2006 in the Côte-Nord, compared with $77,678 for all of Quebec. The Côte-Nord’s productivity would therefore be higher than Quebec’s.
• The key sectors in the Côte-Nord are:
  • Berries
  • Mining and metals process engineering
  • Natural resources (fishing, forestry)
  • Marine resources, sciences and technologies
  • Tourism
  • Metal processing (iron, aluminum)
• The primary sector accounted for 9.4% of the workforce in the Côte-Nord in 2006 (compared with 2.6% in Quebec), the construction sector for 2.6% (2.9%), the manufacturing sector for 17.0% (15.4%), and the tertiary sector for 71.0% (79.0%)

In 2009, tourism in the Côte-Nord and the Nord-du-Québec generated 2,600 jobs and 653 businesses were involved in the Côte-Nord’s tourism sector.

• The Côte-Nord was visited by 455,000 tourists, who spent a total of $123 M (2008) in the region.
• Although 38.5% of tourists came from outside Quebec, they accounted for only 30.9% 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:
  • Alcoa (aluminum production)
  • Aluminerie Alouette (aluminum production)
  • ArcelorMittal Mines Canada (iron ore mining)
  • IOC (iron ore wholesaler-distributor)
  • Hydro-Québec (hydroelectric power generation)
• In terms of entrepreneurship, the Côte-Nord and the Nord-du-Québec had 44.5 SMEs per 1,000 residents in 2009, ranking 4th out of 16 regions in Quebec (average of 37.6 SMEs per 1,000 residents in Quebec).

Exports

In 2007, the Côte-Nord and the Nord-du-Québec had 30 exporting establishments and the value of exports was $3,351.7 M, accounting for 4.7% of Quebec exports.

• Though 82.5% of the Côte-Nord’s and the Nord-du-Québec’s exporting establishments were SMEs, they accounted for only 31.0% of the value of exports (2007).
• The United States was the main destination for exports from the Côte-Nord, the Nord-du-Québec and the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (49.7% of the total value), followed by the European Union (27.2%), and Japan (3.0%) (2007).

Investment, research and innovation

• Public investment tripled in 2009 to $903.9 M, accounting for 48.0% of total capital expenditures in the Côte-Nord ($1,183.1 M). The region’s public investment comprised 4.5% of Quebec public investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, public investment decreased at an average annual rate of 0.1% in the Côte-Nord, compared with a 12.4% increase in Quebec.
• Private investment increased by 45.0% in 2009 to $979.2 M, accounting for 52.0% of all capital expenditures in the Côte-Nord ($1,883.1 M). The region’s private investment accounted for 2.4% of Quebec private investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, private investment decreased at an average annual rate of 3.2% in the Côte-Nord, 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 Côte-Nord:

• Centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie (CCTT):
  • Centre d'excellence en maintenance industrielle
  • Centre d'expérimentation et de développement en forêt boréale
• Centre de recherche Les Buissons inc.

Economic Well-Being

• In 2008, the per capita GDP in the Côte-Nord was $47,796, that is, $11,254, or 30.8%, higher than the Quebec average ($36,542).
• Personal disposable income per capita for the Côte-Nord region was $25,895 in 2008, that is, $391, or 1.5%, below the Quebec average ($25,504/resident). The Côte-Nord ranked 6th out of the 17 regions.
• In 2008, per capita government transfers to the Côte-Nord region ($6,707/resident) were 21.4% higher than the Quebec average ($5,523/resident.).
• The percentage of the population in a situation of low income after tax was lower in the Côte-Nord (13.8%) than in the province as a whole (15.2%).