Laurentides (15) Region - Socioeconomic Profile

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Region and Population

• In 2009, the Laurentides were divided into 8 RCMs and comprised 76 municipalities and 12 territories.
• The Laurentides covered 1.6% of the area of the Province of Quebec in 2009 (20,559.9 km²).
• With a population of 542,416 in 2009, the Laurentides accounted for 6.9% of Quebec’s population.
• The ISQ forecasts strong population growth (34.0%) in the Laurentides between 2006 and 2031 (+15.8% in Quebec) and aging of the population owing to
  • Natural increase;
  • Very high inter-regional net migration.
• The ISQ predicts a 9.2-percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2031 in persons of working age (20-64 years), from 63.0% to 53.8%, which is close to the Quebec percentage (-9.3 percentage points, from 63.4% to 54.1%).

Distribution of the Laurentides’ population by age

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

The Laurentides’ inter-regional net migration by age (2004-2009)

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

Labour Market

• In 2009, there were 273,900 people with jobs in the Laurentides, a 1.8% increase over 2008, and the region accounted for 7.1% of people with jobs in Quebec (3,844,200 jobs).
• In 2009, the Laurentides recorded an unemployment rate that was 0.7 of a percentage point lower than the Quebec average (7.8% vs. 8.5%).
• The Laurentides’ employment and labour participation rates in 2009, 61.5% and 66.7% respectively, were still higher than Quebec rates (59.7% and 65.2%).
• The ISQ anticipates increased labour scarcity in the Laurentides, forecasting that the labour replacement index will drop from 90% to 68% between 2006 and 2021 and then rise to 79% by 2031.

Economic Activities

• In 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices (in current $) was $15,193.5 M in the Laurentides region, accounting for 5.4% of Quebec’s GDP ($283,217 M).
• GDP per job, an approximation of labour productivity, was $79,074 in 2006 in the Laurentides, compared with $77,678 for all of Quebec. The Laurentides’ productivity would therefore be slightly higher than Quebec’s.
• The industrial structure in the Laurentides closely resembles that of Quebec. Over the years, the manufacturing sector has diversified. The region’s key sectors are:
  • Bio-foods (prepared meals)
  • Construction
  • Electrical equipment, appliances and components
  • Transportation equipment (aerospace)
  • Wood production and processing
  • Computer and electronic products
  • Environmental technologies (advanced land transportation)
  • Tourism
• The primary sector accounted for 2.5% of the workforce in the Laurentides in 2006 (compared with 2.6% in Quebec), the construction sector for 4.5% (2.9%), the manufacturing sector for 15.6% (15.4%), and the tertiary sector for 77.5% (79.0%).

In 2009, tourism in the Laurentides generated 13,700 jobs and 2,196 businesses were involved in the tourism sector.

• The Laurentides was visited by 2,785,000 tourists, who spent a total of $578 M in the region (2008).
• Although 16.0% of tourists came from outside Quebec, they accounted for 34.7% 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 (1,000+ employees) are:
  • Bell Helicopter Textron (aerospace product manufacturing)
  • Bombardier Aéronautique (aerospace product manufacturing)
  • CIMA + (engineering services)
  • Station Mont-Tremblant (ski resort)
• In terms of entrepreneurship, the Laurentides had 36.7 SMEs per 1,000 residents in 2009, ranking 11th out of 16 regions of Quebec (average of 37.6 SMEs per 1,000 residents in Quebec).

Exports

In 2007, the Laurentides had 400 exporting establishments and the value of exports was $2,540.6 M, accounting for 3.6% of Quebec exports.

• Through 94.3% of the Laurentides’ exporting establishments were SMEs, they accounted for only 58.1% of the value of exports (2007).
• The United States was the main destination for exports from the Laurentides (85.7% of the total value), followed by the European Union (6.4%), South America (0.4%), Mexico (0.3%) and Japan (0.2%) (2007).

Investment, research and innovation

• Public investment increased by 24.6% in 2009 to $1,021.2 M, accounting for 23.3% of total capital expenditures in the Laurentides ($4,387.9 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 25.0% in the Laurentides, compared with 12.4% in Quebec.
• Private investment dropped by 6.6% in 2009 to $3,366.8 M, accounting for 76.7% of all capital expenditures in the Laurentides ($4,387.9 M). The region’s private investment accounted for 8.3% of Quebec private investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, private investment grew at an average annual rate of 0.4% in the Laurentides, 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 Laurentides:

• Centre d’expérimentation des véhicules électriques du Québec
• Institut du transport avancé du Québec
• Centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie (CCTT):
  • Centre d'innovation en microélectronique du Québec
  • Centre de développement des composites du Québec
  • Institut du transport avancé du Québec

Economic Well-Being

• In 2008, the per capita GDP in the Laurentides was $28,378, that is, $8,164, or 22.3%, below the Quebec average ($36,542).
• Personal disposable income per capita for the Laurentides was $25,723 in 2008, that is, $219, or 0.9%, below the Quebec average ($25,504/resident). The Laurentides ranked 7th out of the 17 regions.
• In 2008, per capita government transfers to the Laurentides region ($5,005/resident) were 9.4% lower than the Quebec average ($5,523/resident.).
• The percentage of the population in a situation of low income after tax was lower in the Laurentides (12.5%) than in the province as a whole (15.2%).