Québec (03) Region - Socioeconomic Profile

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Region and Population

• In 2009, the Quebec region was divided into 7 RCMs and comprised 59 municipalities and 10 territories.
• The Quebec region covered 1.4% of the area of the Province of Quebec in 2009 (18,638.7 km²).
• With a population of 687,810 in 2009, the Quebec region accounted for 8.8% of Quebec’s population.
• The ISQ forecasts sustained population growth (11.6%) in the region between 2006 and 2031 (+15,8 % in Quebec) and aging of the population owing to
  • Natural movement (deaths > births starting in 2021);
  • Very positive international and inter-regional net migration (arrival of young people, workers and retirees).
     
• The ISQ predicts a 12.0-percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2031 in persons of working age (20-64 years) from 64.9% to 52.9%, which is lower than the Quebec percentage in 2031 (-9.3 percentage points, from 54.1% to 63.4%).

Distribution of the Quebec region’s population by age

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

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

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

Labour Market

• In 2009, there were 356,100 people with jobs in the Quebec region, a 0.6% decrease from 2008, and the region accounted for 9.3% of people with jobs in Quebec (3,844,200 jobs).
• In 2009, the Quebec region recorded an unemployment rate that was 3.3 percentage points lower than the Quebec average (5.2% vs. 8.5%).
• The Quebec region’s employment and labour participation rates in 2009, 62.2% and 65.6% respectively, remained higher than Quebec rates (59.7% and 65.2%).
• The ISQ anticipates increased labour scarcity in the Quebec region, forecasting that the labour replacement index will drop from 107% to 76% between 2006 and 2021 and then rise to 94% by 2031.

Economic Activities

• In 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices (in current $) was $27,148.6 M in the Quebec region, accounting for 9.6% of Quebec’s GDP ($283,217 M).
• GDP per job, an approximation of labour productivity, was $73,347 in 2006 in the Quebec region, compared with $77,678 for all of Quebec. The Quebec region’s productivity would therefore be lower than Quebec’s.
• A diversified economic base. Key sectors in the Quebec region are:
  • Public administration
  • Finance, insurance, consulting engineering
  • Materials processing (secondary wood processing, composite materials, plastics, metal manufacture)
  • Life sciences, health and nutrition (human health and medical equipment, agri-technology)
  • Applied technologies (optics-photonics, computer-based solutions and computer technologies, security and defence)
  • Tourism and accommodation
• The primary sector accounted for 1.2% of the workforce in the Quebec region in 2006 (compared with 2.6% in Quebec), the construction sector for 2.6% (2.9%), the manufacturing sector for 8.3% (15.4%), and the tertiary sector for 87.9% (79.0%).

In 2009, tourism in the Quebec region generated 14,200 jobs and 3,221 businesses were involved in the tourism sector.

• The Quebec region was visited by 5,265,000 tourists, who spent a total of $1,621 M in the region (2008).
• Although 49.6% of tourists came from outside Quebec, they accounted for 75.2% 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:
  • C.G.I. (information systems)
  • Gaz Métro (natural gas distribution)
• In terms of entrepreneurship, the Quebec region had 36.0 SMEs per 1,000 residents in 2009, ranking 12th out of 16 regions in Quebec (average of 37.6 SMEs per 1,000 residents in Quebec).

Exports

In 2007, the Quebec region had 458 exporting establishments and the value of exports was $5,201.2 M, accounting for 7.4% of Quebec exports.

• Though 94.1% of the Quebec region’s exporting establishments are SMEs, they accounted for only 33.7% of the value of exports (2007).
• The United States was the main destination for exports from the Quebec region (77.1% of the total value), followed by the European Union (8.4%), South America / Mexico (6.2%) and Japan (0.3%) (2007).

Investment, research and innovation

• Public investment increased by 20.2% in 2009 to $2,434.4 M, accounting for 32.8% of total capital expenditures in the Quebec region ($7,425.9 M). The region’s public investment comprised 12.1 of Quebec public investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, public investment grew at an average annual rate of 15.5% in the Quebec region, compared with 12.4% in Quebec.
• Private investment increased by 21.6% in 2009 to $4,991.5 M, accounting for 67.2% of all capital expenditures in the Quebec region ($7,425.9 M). The region’s private investment accounted for 12.4% of Quebec private investment in 2009. Over the period of 2004 to 2009, private investment grew at an average annual rate of 15.6% in the Quebec 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 Quebec region:

• Parc technologique du Québec métropolitain
• Institut national d'optique
• Defence Research and Development Canada
• Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec
• Centre québécois de valorisation des biotechnologies
• Centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie (CCTT):
  • Centre en imagerie numérique et médias interactifs
  • Centre d'enseignement et de recherche en foresterie
• Chairs, laboratories and working groups at the Université Laval and the INRS

Economic Well-Being

• In 2008, the per capita GDP in the Quebec region was $39,920, that is, $3,378, or 9.2%, above the Quebec average ($36,542).
• Personal disposable income per capita for the Quebec region was $26,361 in 2008, that is, $857, or 3.4%, above the Quebec average ($25,504/resident). The Quebec region ranked 4th out of the 17 regions.
• In 2008, per capita government transfers to the Quebec region ($5,293/resident) were slightly below the Quebec average ($5,523/resident).
• The percentage of the population in a situation of low income after tax was lower in the Quebec region (12.7%) than in the province as a whole (15.2%).