Statistics Canada Reports II - Page 184

Drybrain · #**3661** Posted **Oct 6, 2025, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Today, Calgary is a very different city than it was even a decade ago and this means that Calgary will continue to be Canada's growth leader for decades to come.

I’m not sure it’s very different than it was a decade ago. It’s definitely very different than it was, say, 25 years ago.

Pretty hard to declare anywhere the “growth leader” (or laggard) for decades to come. We just don’t know what the future looks like and how regional trends will shape up.

Dalreg · #**3662** Posted **Oct 7, 2025, 4:19 AM**

Okotoks will have something to say about Calgary soon enough.

acottawa · #**3663** Posted **Oct 7, 2025, 9:23 AM**

Not quite Statscan, but a Globe report on plummeting happiness in Canada.

It does not appear to be paywalled.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/soc...adian-youth-happiness-gallup-world-poll/

Doom-polling
Canada has fallen far in the global rankings of happy nations. Young people, suspecting our vision of the good life is unattainable, are exploring other options

Erin AnderssenHappiness Reporter
Graphics by Yang Sun
Photography by Duane ColeAurora, Ont., and Toronto
The Globe and Mail
Published October 5, 2025
Updated Yesterday

Until recently, decades of responses on subjective life satisfaction across dozens of mostly Western, industrialized countries suggested that lifetime happiness followed a U-curve.

People, on average, hit the road happiest in their free-wheeling 20s, tumbled down in life satisfaction during the early child-raising and career-juggling middle age, and then climbed back up, puttering into old age relatively content with life again.

But happiness isn’t what it used to be. Between 2006 and 2024, the average self-reported life satisfaction of Canadians under 35 has nosedived – and it now takes a long march to retirement age to reach those previous levels of happiness.

As described in a recent working paper by a trio of researchers at the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia, the U-shape “has been replaced with a mountain for youth to climb.”

“Instead of a mid-life crisis, we now have a crisis of the young,” the authors write.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3664** Posted **Oct 8, 2025, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I’m not sure it’s very different than it was a decade ago. It’s definitely very different than it was, say, 25 years ago.

Pretty hard to declare anywhere the “growth leader” (or laggard) for decades to come. We just don’t know what the future looks like and how regional trends will shape up.

I would actually say the last 10 years has seen more change than any previous 10 year period from a economic diversity standpoint. The city has added a few hundred thousand people both in population and to the labour pool, while the number of jobs in Oil and Gas has actually gone down in that period. The best thing that happened to Calgary (though some might not agree I'm sure) was the 2014/2015 downturn when oil and gas was in the toilet. Diversification which was on a slow path has ramped up much quicker.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3665** Posted **Oct 8, 2025, 2:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

I'm sure Calgary will be fine, but it's economy hasn't diversified as much as what people like to think. Downtown Calgary still has an office vacancy rate of 27%, so clearly the decline of oil has left a large hole in thecity. And now Imperial Oil just announced it is scaling back operations, which will mean more job losses in Calgary.

The oil and gas industry employs over 200 000 people in Calgary. There are still huge amount of people who will potentially out of a job in the next 10 years, as demand for oil will continue to decline.

Where is the stat of 200k coming from? I'm not disagreeing, but I haven't seen that number before.

As for the vacancy rate. It doesn't really have any effect on the economy or future growth. It's been the same for almost a decade, but Calgary has been booming, it's just that the newly created jobs aren't 'downtown oil and gas' jobs, there a mix of all types of jobs.

OldDartmouthMark · #**3666** Posted **Oct 8, 2025, 3:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca

The last 10 years have seen more change than in previous decades from a economic diversity standpoint. The city has added a few hundred thousand people both in population and to the labour pool, while the number of jobs in Oil and Gas has actually gone down in that period.

The best thing that happened to Calgary (though some might not agree I'm sure) was the 2014-2018 downturn when oil and gas was in the toilet. Diversification which was on a slow path ramped up much quicker.

Just out of curiosity, where are the strongest areas of growth that are adding all the new non oil/gas jobs in Calgary? I was last there 10 years ago and am interested in how it has changed since then.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3667** Posted **Oct 8, 2025, 8:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Just out of curiosity, where are the strongest areas of growth that are adding all the new non oil/gas jobs in Calgary? I was last there 10 years ago and am interested in how it has changed since then.

IT, Fintech, and warehousing/distribution is driving a lot of it, but a lot of industries all around seem to be adding jobs.

From what I've seen the jobs that are replacing oil and gas aren't the stereotypical high paying oil and gas jobs, but more of a wider pay scale spectrum. Which is fine by me, I like to see job diversity. I don't celebrate people being laid off from oil and gas, but in Calgary's case it's been probably as good as can be expected. A few hundred here, a few hundred there kind of thing. A lot of early retirements, and a lot simply replaced by technology.
For example in the case of Imperial Oil that Logan had mentioned, there will be 700 and some layoffs over a two year period, with some of those jobs coming back as contractors, so more or less a gradual downsize.

It's hard to get exact numbers for jobs and how they tied into oil and gas. With many of these industries there have been ups and downs over the past 9 years (I couldn't get like for like data earlier than 2016), but the two charts do a reasonable job of summing up the past 9 years so we can see where the job market is coming and going.

In 2016 see Calgary's total employment force at 685K, with oil and gas at 49K - down from 54K a year earlier, due to oil and gas getting crushed in 204/2015.

Today we the working labour force at 858k and oil and gas still hovering around 49k in 2024, but taking a hit over the past year. Oil and Gas is not dying rapidly, but it's not growing or going anywhere. The stats that jump out for increases over the past 9 years would be:
Professional scientific and technical services 57K -> 104K.
Public Administration 19K -> 38K
Healthcare 78k -> 104K
Transport Warehousing 41K -> 58K
F.I.R.E. 35K -> 56K

Basically almost every sector is up except oil gas, mining and extraction

Razor · #**3668** Posted **Oct 9, 2025, 11:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca

I would actually say the last 10 years has seen more change than any previous 10 year period from a economic diversity standpoint. The city has added a few hundred thousand people both in population and to the labour pool, while the number of jobs in Oil and Gas has actually gone down in that period. The best thing that happened to Calgary (though some might not agree I'm sure) was the 2014/2015 downturn when oil and gas was in the toilet. Diversification which was on a slow path has ramped up much quicker.

I remember a time when I knew of people who flocked to Calgary during a boom, only to come back within a decade at the most once the bust hit. It's good to learn about Calgary diversifying, and slowly moving away from the reputation of being a boom and bust city..It's also a lot larger than it was now, so it's diversifying and adding more industries by default of having that impressive growth. It's not the same city as it was even a few decades ago. Look at Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver and how much they diversified over the years.. (added film and music recording industries, video game developing, fashion etc.) I can see a future Calgary headed that way. Especially, as it moves towards that 2.0 million mark.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3669** Posted **Oct 9, 2025, 2:55 PM**

If someone had time to burn and wanted to see some of the diversification that's happening in YYC. Here are some links to various articles from over the past year that gives some insight of where the job growth comes from despite oil and gas jobs being stale or declining.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3670** Posted **Oct 9, 2025, 3:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor

I remember a time when I knew of people who flocked to Calgary during a boom, only to come back within a decade at the most once the bust hit. It's good to learn about Calgary diversifying, and slowly moving away from the reputation of being a boom and bust city..It's also a lot larger than it was now, so it's diversifying and adding more industries by default of having that impressive growth. It's not the same city as it was even a few decades ago. Look at Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver and how much they diversified over the years.. (added film and music recording industries, video game developing, fashion etc.) I can see a future Calgary headed that way. Especially, as it moves towards that 2.0 million mark.

I was one of those people who moved to Calgary during a boom cycle

And that's very true in past years I remember people leaving to Calgary and returning after there was a down cycle.
I think it's still that way with jobs in Alberta that are outside of Calgary and Edmonton. For oil and gas, in the field jobs ramp up quickly, and ramp down quickly.

OldDartmouthMark · #**3671** Posted **Oct 9, 2025, 4:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca

IT, Fintech, and warehousing/distribution is driving a lot of it, but a lot of industries all around seem to be adding jobs.

From what I've seen the jobs that are replacing oil and gas aren't the stereotypical high paying oil and gas jobs, but more of a wider pay scale spectrum. Which is fine by me, I like to see job diversity. I don't celebrate people being laid off from oil and gas, but in Calgary's case it's been probably as good as can be expected. A few hundred here, a few hundred there kind of thing. A lot of early retirements, and a lot simply replaced by technology.
For example in the case of Imperial Oil that Logan had mentioned, there will be 700 and some layoffs over a two year period, with some of those jobs coming back as contractors, so more or less a gradual downsize.

It's hard to get exact numbers for jobs and how they tied into oil and gas. With many of these industries there have been ups and downs over the past 9 years (I couldn't get like for like data earlier than 2016), but the two charts do a reasonable job of summing up the past 9 years so we can see where the job market is coming and going.

In 2016 see Calgary's total employment force at 685K, with oil and gas at 49K - down from 54K a year earlier, due to oil and gas getting crushed in 204/2015.

Today we the working labour force at 858k and oil and gas still hovering around 49k in 2024, but taking a hit over the past year. Oil and Gas is not dying rapidly, but it's not growing or going anywhere. The stats that jump out for increases over the past 9 years would be:
Professional scientific and technical services 57K -> 104K.
Public Administration 19K -> 38K
Healthcare 78k -> 104K
Transport Warehousing 41K -> 58K
F.I.R.E. 35K -> 56K

Basically almost every sector is up except oil gas, mining and extraction

Thank you for your detailed, well thought out response. I have a much better understanding now.

Much appreciated!

BlaineN · #**3672** Posted **Oct 9, 2025, 8:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca

Today we the working labour force at 858k and oil and gas still hovering around 49k in 2024, but taking a hit over the past year. Oil and Gas is not dying rapidly, but it's not growing or going anywhere. The stats that jump out for increases over the past 9 years would be:
Professional scientific and technical services 57K -> 104K.
Public Administration 19K -> 38K
Healthcare 78k -> 104K
Transport Warehousing 41K -> 58K
F.I.R.E. 35K -> 56K

Basically almost every sector is up except oil gas, mining and extraction

The stat that jumps out to me is Public Administration 19K -> 38K It doesn't seem like there are a lot of government jobs here, but the number has doubled. I'm curious as what they define as 'Public Administration' ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Thank you for your detailed, well thought out response. I have a much better understanding now.

:

What he said.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3673** Posted **Oct 10, 2025, 5:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Thank you for your detailed, well thought out response. I have a much better understanding now.

Much appreciated!

You're welcome

I love digging through stats.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlaineN

The stat that jumps out to me is Public Administration 19K -> 38K It doesn't seem like there are a lot of government jobs here, but the number has doubled. I'm curious as what they define as 'Public Administration' ?

What he said.

That's a good question, I'm assuming it would be government jobs for all three levels. It's interesting because I hear lots of stuff going on in Calgary, but I don't ever hear about government jobs as one of those things.

ssiguy · #**3674** Posted **Oct 11, 2025, 7:22 PM**

Those stats for Canadians falling "happiness index" will come to a surprise to no one.

Our middle class has been on the decline for 2 decades as our productivity levels have fallen well behind many of our Western peers. Under Trudeau however, our fall has gone into overdrive as his many disastrous economic and social policies have pounded our quality of life. The man has left havoc in his wake and it will take decades to undue the damage.

The young have become completely economically, socially, and politically alienated with sky high unemployment, hyper expensive housing, and having to compete for jobs with foreigners who undercut their wages. Then these same foreigners bring in their entire extended family putting huge pressure on our physical infrastructure like transit and housing and social infrastructure like our over capacity schools and overburdened healthcare system.

Our younger people have been thrown out to pasture and when in need the gov't just tells them to go to a Food Bank or grab a tent. Small wonder they are unhappy.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3675** Posted **Oct 12, 2025, 3:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Those stats for Canadians falling "happiness index" will come to a surprise to no one.

Our middle class has been on the decline for 2 decades as our productivity levels have fallen well behind many of our Western peers. Under Trudeau however, our fall has gone into overdrive as his many disastrous economic and social policies have pounded our quality of life. The man has left havoc in his wake and it will take decades to undue the damage.

The young have become completely economically, socially, and politically alienated with sky high unemployment, hyper expensive housing, and having to compete for jobs with foreigners who undercut their wages. Then these same foreigners bring in their entire extended family putting huge pressure on our physical infrastructure like transit and housing and social infrastructure like our over capacity schools and overburdened healthcare system.

Our younger people have been thrown out to pasture and when in need the gov't just tells them to go to a Food Bank or grab a tent. Small wonder they are unhappy.

I think the huge immigration over the past two years was a mistake, but we'll always need some kind of immigration. Just a matter of adjusting the numbers, and supposedly the numbers will be down this year, and going forward. I don't know if that's actually happening, but that's the plan.
Once it slows it should take some of the pressure off.

Chinook Arch · #**3676** Posted **Oct 12, 2025, 7:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca

That's a good question, I'm assuming it would be government jobs for all three levels. It's interesting because I hear lots of stuff going on in Calgary, but I don't ever hear about government jobs as one of those things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlaineN

The stat that jumps out to me is Public Administration 19K -> 38K It doesn't seem like there are a lot of government jobs here, but the number has doubled. I'm curious as what they define as 'Public Administration' ?

Since around Covid and onward the federal government and likely the Alberta provincial government have been increasing hiring remotely outside of the capitals. My wife works for the federal government and her team was always 100% Ottawa based up until around 2019 when they started offering some remote positions. Today her team is split in 2 with one side based solely in western Canada, and about a third of the team (6 people) is in the Calgary area. I can't speak for all departments of the federal government, but from other groups my wife deals with, others are also hiring remotely in various locations.
As for the provincial level, my niece just got hired on here in Calgary for a job that was traditionally in Edmonton. Other than that I don't have much insight to the provincial side, but I suspect remote hires are more common there as well.

jc_yyc_ca · #**3677** Posted **Oct 22, 2025, 5:56 PM**

For those who follow housing starts.

KnoxfordGuy · #**3678** Posted **Oct 28, 2025, 12:56 PM**

Interesting data from Stats Can today on school enrollment. NB has the second highest increase in public school enrollment from 2022-24 after Alberta. New Brunswick was closing schools 6 years ago.

Screen shot from Stats Can website:

Wigs · #**3679** Posted **Oct 28, 2025, 7:25 PM**

One of the things that shocks people in Niagara is the rapid rise in school enrollment after a period of decline.

Population 2021 Census/2024 estimate:
Niagara Region: 477,941/539,180 +61,239 or +12.8%

For the 3 largest cities in Niagara Region
St. Catharines: 136,803/152,958 +16,155
Niagara Falls: 94,415/111,793 +17,378
Welland: 55,750/63,874 +8,124

MolsonExport · #**3680** Posted **Oct 31, 2025, 2:45 PM**

These population statistics for urban agglomerations are quite flattering (except for Toronto's, which was lower than I expected...probably due to the separation of Oshawa and Hamilton urban areas):

https://www.citypopulation.de/en/canada/agglo/