Overview

Abstract (English)

This report examines employment and industry changes in New Brunswick (NB) over a 20-year period (1996 to 2016) using data from the Canadian Census. It also examines changes over a ten-year period (2009 to 2019) using data from the Labour Force Survey. Results are stratified by CMA/CA1 and by industry using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). KEY FINDINGS This report examines employment and industry changes in New Brunswick (NB)over a 20-year period (1996 to 2016) using data from the Canadian Census. It also examines changes over a ten-year period (2009 to 2019) using data from the Labour Force Survey. Results are stratified by CMA/CA and by industry using the North American Industry Classification System. We observed the following results: Population While the New Brunswick population in 2016 was higher than it wasin1996, CMA Saint John and CA Campbellton (NB) were the only cities among other CMAs/CAs to have a lower population in 2016 than in 1996. CA Campbellton (NB) had the largest CA population decline nationwide. Miramichi had the highest dependency ratio in 2016 (36%) while Edmundston had the highest dependency ratio increase of all CMAs/CAs between 2011 and 2016. Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton are home to 50% of the total population of NB and 51% of the working population (aged 15-64). In 2019, these cities had the highest labour force participation rates in NB–higher than both national and provincial rates. The number of New Brunswickers aged 15-64 declined by 5.1% (3p.p.2) between 2011 and 2016, representing the largest decline in the working-age population between consecutive census years since 1996. In 2016, this group represented 66% of the total population, down 3p.p. from the previous census year. The share of the population aged 55 and over has increased by 16.7% since 1999. Labour Force Unemployment in the province has declined by 0.8p.p. since 2009, compared to a national decline of 2.6 p.p. In 2019, CA Miramichi had the highest unemployment rate in the province (12.4%), while CA Fredericton had the lowest (5.5%). While the population of CA Fredericton has grown (11.8% increase between 2011 and 2016), its participation rate declined by 7.3 p.p. between 2009 and 2010.All employment growth in the last decade has come from within service-based industries, which accounted for 79.1% of employment in NB in 2019, up from 77.9% in 2009 and 75.5% in 1999. The goods-producing sector, on the other hand, has experienced declines across all its industries in the last decade. This sector accounted for 20.9% of employment in NB in 2019, down from 22.1% in 2009 and 24.5% in 1999. The three industries with the largest share of the working population in NB remain Health Care and Social Assistance; Wholesale and Retail Trade; and Business, Sciences, Finance, and Real Estate. They accounted for 21.5%, 19.8 %, and 18.5%, respectively, of the services-producing sector in 2019.Despite its employment declines, Manufacturing still has the largest share of the working population among other goods-producing industries in the province. In 2019, it had a total employment share of 41% in the goods-producing sector–1.2 p.p. more than in 2009 and 8p.p. less than in 1999. The Information, Culture, and Recreation industry had the largest increase in workers over the last decade (2009-2019) at 16.4%, and Wholesale and Retail Trade experienced the largest decline at -6.1%. Across all 1996-2016 Census cycles, cities, towns, and other communities outside NB CMAs/CAs are home to the majority of workers in the goods-producing sector.

Abstract (French)

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