Nord-du-Québec (10) Region - Socioeconomic Profile

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Region and Population

• In 2009, the Nord-du-Québec was divided into 3 equivalent territories and comprised 28 municipalities and 22 other territories (2009).
• The Nord-du-Québec covered 54.7% of the area of the Province of Quebec in 2009 (718,228.6 km²).
• With a population of 41,479 in 2009, the Nord-du-Québec accounted for 0.5% of Quebec’s population.
• The ISQ forecasts population growth (6.8%) in the Nord-du-Québec between 2006 and 2031 (+15.8% in Quebec) and aging of the population owing to
  • Positive natural increase;
  • Negative net migration (exodus of young people, workers and retirees).
• The ISQ predicts a 4.7-percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2031 in persons of working age (20-64 years), from 57.3% to 52.6%, which is lower than the Quebec percentage (-9.3 percentage points, from 63.4% to 54.1%).

Distribution of the Nord-du-Québec population by age

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

The Nord-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 47,400 people with jobs in the Nord-du-Québec and the Côte-Nord, 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 Nord-du-Québec and the Côte-Nord recorded an unemployment rate that was 1.2 percentage points higher than the Quebec average (9.7% vs. 8.5%).
• The Nord-du-Quebec’s and the Côte-Nord’s employment and labour participation rates in 2009, 53.5% and 59.2% respectively, remained lower than Quebec rates (59.7% and 65.2%).
• According to the ISQ, the Nord-du-Québec is one of the only Quebec regions to maintain a positive labour replacement index. It is expected to drop from 207% to 133% between 2006 and 2021 and then rise to 150% by 2031.

Economic Activities

• In 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices (in current $) was $2,622.2 M in the Nord-du-Québec region, accounting for 0.9% of Quebec’s GDP ($283,217 M).
• GDP per job, an approximation of labour productivity, was $131,284 in 2006 in the Nord-du-Québec, compared with $77,678 for all of Quebec. The Nord-du-Québec’s productivity would therefore be higher than Quebec’s.
• The key sectors in Nord-du-Québec are:
  • Agri-food
  • Renewable energy
  • Mining
  • Forestry
  • Tourism
• The primary sector accounted for 9.2% of the workforce in the Nord-du-Québec in 2006 (compared with 2.6% in Quebec), the construction sector for 3.9% (2.9%), the manufacturing sector for 9.9% (15.4%), and the tertiary sector for 76.9% (79.0%).

In 2009, tourism in the Nord-du-Québec and the Côte-Nord generated 2,600 jobs and 152 businesses were involved in the Nord-du-Québec’s tourism sector.

• The Nord-du-Québec was visited by 45,000 tourists, who spent a total of $17 M (2008) in the region.
• Although only 12.1% of tourists came from outside Quebec, they accounted for 23.8% 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:
  • Chantiers Chibougamau (structural wood product manufacturing)
  • Xstrata Nickel Mine Raglan (nickel-copper mining)
• In terms of entrepreneurship, the Nord-du-Québec and the Côte-Nord 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 Nord-du-Québec and the Côte-Nord 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 Nord-du-Québec’s and the Côte-Nord’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 Nord-du-Québec, the Côte-Nord 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 dropped by 24.5% in 2009 to $1,970.1 M, accounting for 81.9% of total capital expenditures in the Nord-du-Québec ($2,404.4 M). The region’s public investment comprised 9.8% of Quebec public investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, public investment increased at an average annual rate of 12.8% in the Nord-du-Québec, compared with 12.4% in Quebec.
• Private investment dropped by 53.6% in 2009 to $434.3 M, accounting for 18.1% of all capital expenditures in the Nord-du-Québec ($2,404.4 M). The region’s private investment accounted for 1.1% 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 Nord-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.

Since the Nord-du-Québec has little infrastructure and few skilled workers to conduct R&D and stimulate innovation, there are few research, expertise, training and technology transfer centres.

Economic Well-Being

• In 2008, the per capita GDP in the Nord-du-Québec was $63,754, that is, $27,212, or 74.5%, higher than the Quebec average ($36,542).
• Personal disposable income per capita for the Nord-du-Québec region was $53,502 in 2008, that is, $27,998, or 109.8%, higher than the Quebec average ($25,504/resident). The Nord-du-Québec ranked first out of the 17 regions.
• In 2008, per capita government transfers to the Nord-du-Québec ($36,962/resident) were 6.7 times higher than the Quebec average ($5,523/resident). This can be explained by the payment of over $1 billion by the federal government to the Cree Regional Authority in connection with the implementation of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
• However, the percentage of the population in a situation of low income after tax was higher in the Nord-du-Quebec (18.1%) than in the province as a whole (15.2%).