Laval (13) Region - Socioeconomic Profile

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Region and Population

• In 2009, the Laval region was made up of 1 RCM by the same name, one municipality and no territories.
• The Laval region covered 0.02% of the area of the Province of Quebec in 2009 (246.0 km²).
• With a population of 391,893 in 2009, the Laval region accounted for 5.0% of Quebec’s population.
• The ISQ forecasts strong population growth (28.6%) in the Laval region between 2006 and 2031 (+15.8% in Quebec) and aging of the population owing to
  • Positive natural increase;
  • Very positive international and inter-regional net migration.
• The ISQ predicts a 7.2-percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2031 in persons of working age (20-64 years), from 62.0% to 54.8%, which is very close to the Quebec percentage (-9.3 percentage points; from 63.4% to 54.1%).

Distribution of the Laval region’s population by age

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

The Laval region’s inter-regional net migration by age (2004-2009)

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

Labour Market

• In 2009, there were 197,500 people with jobs in the Laval region, a 2.9% decrease from 2008, and the region accounted for 5.1% of people with jobs in Quebec (3,844,200 jobs).
• In 2009, the Laval region recorded an unemployment rate that was 0.9 of a percentage point lower than the Quebec average (7.6% vs. 8.5%).
• The Laval region’s employment and labour participation rates in 2009, 61.9% and 67.0% respectively, were still higher than Quebec rates (59.7% and 65.2%).
• The ISQ anticipates increased labour scarcity in the Laval region, forecasting that the labour replacement index will drop from 110% to 86% between 2006 and 2021 and then rise to 97% by 2031.

Economic Activities

• In 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices (in current $) was $11,714 M in the Laval region, accounting for 4.1% of Quebec’s GDP ($283,217 M).
• GDP per job, an approximation of labour productivity, was $78,609 in 2006 in the Laval region, compared with $77,678 for all of Quebec. The Laval region’s productivity would therefore be slightly higher than Quebec’s.
• Laval is known for the diversity of its key sectors:
  • Agri-food (horticulture)
  • Machinery
  • Chemicals
  • Metal products
  • Transportation equipment (aerospace)
  • Life sciences and medical technologies
  • Information and communications technologies
  • Environmental technologies
  • Tourism
• The primary sector accounted for 0.7% of the workforce in the Laval region in 2006 (compared with 2.6% in Quebec), the construction sector for 5.1% (2.9%), the manufacturing sector for 13.6% (15.4%), and the tertiary sector for 80.6% (79.0%).

In 2009, tourism in the Laval region generated 5,900 jobs and 979 businesses were involved in the tourism sector.

• The Laval region was visited by 336,000 tourists, who spent a total of $60 M in the region (2008).
• Although only 16.3% of tourists came from outside Quebec, they accounted for 32.3% 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:
  • Aventis (pharmaceutical manufacturing)
  • CIMA + (engineering services)
  • Sécuritas Canada (security guard and patrol services)
  • Transelec Common (residential construction)
• In terms of entrepreneurship, the Laval region had 34.0 SMEs per 1,000 residents in 2009, ranking 15th out of 16 regions of Quebec (average of 37.6 SMEs per 1,000 residents in Quebec).

Exports

In 2006, the Laval region had 428 exporting establishments and the value of exports was $1,030.2 M, accounting for 1.5% of Quebec exports.

• Though 94.9% of the Laval region’s exporting establishments were SMEs, they accounted for only 89.4% of the value of exports (2007).
• The United States was the main destination for exports from the Laval region (80.2% of the total value), followed by the European Union (6.9%), South America (0.8%) and Japan (0.4%) (2007).

Investment, research and innovation

• Public investment increased by 63.9% in 2009 to $923.9 M, accounting for 29.6% of total capital expenditures in the Laval region ($3,119.6 M). The region’s public investment comprised 4.6% of Quebec public investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, public investment grew at an average annual rate of 28.2% in the Laval region, compared with 12.4% in Quebec.
• Private investment dropped by 23.8% in 2009 to $2,195.7 M, accounting for 70.4% of all capital expenditures in the Laval region ($3,119.6 M). The region’s private investment accounted for 5.4% of Quebec private investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, private investment grew at an average annual rate of 0.8% in the Laval region, 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 Laval region:

• Laval Technopole Agropôle
• Laval Technopole Biopôle
• Laval Technopole e-Pôle
• Cité de la biotechnologie et de la santé humaine de Laval
• INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier

Economic Well-Being

• In 2008, the per capita GDP in the Laval region was $30,487, that is, $6,055, or 16.6%, below the Quebec average ($36,542).
• Personal disposable income per capita for the Laval region was $26,019 in 2008, that is, $515, or 2.0%, below the Quebec average ($25,504/resident). The Laval region ranked 5th out of the 17 regions.
• In 2008, per capita government transfers to the Laval region ($4,849/resident) were 12.2% lower 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 Laval region (12.2%) than in the province as a whole (15.2%).