Keyword search

Statistics presented are derived from a survey of nine Provincial Research Organizations (PRO): the InNOVAcorp (formerly the Nova Scotia Research Foundation Corporation), the New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council, the "Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec (CRIQ)", the Industrial Technology Centre (Manitoba) (formerly the Economic Innovation and Technology Council), the Saskatchewan Research Council, the Alberta Research Council, the Yukon Research Institute, the NUNAVUT Research Institute (formerly the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories) and the Aurora Research Institute.

Businesses have embraced the use of information and communications technologies such as e-mail, and the Internet and the personal computer or PC are widely used in most businesses. Use of computers among enterprises was high at 81.9%. The Internet, originally designed as a communications medium for researchers, is now being adopted by many other groups. The Internet was used by 52.8% of enterprises and these enterprises accounted for three-quarters of economic activity.

The proportion of enterprises with Web sites was 21.7% and these enterprises account for 44.8% of economic activity for the private sector. Among other uses, the Internet was used to purchase goods and services by 13.8% of enterprises and by 10.1% to sell goods and services. Significant variation exists in the levels of information and communications technologies use across industries.

The public sector is a model user of information and communications technologies. The proportion of institutions in public health, education, and federal and provincial governments using the Internet and e-mail, and having Internet Web sites is significantly higher than it is for the private sector. Over 95 % of institutions in the public sector use the Internet, 96.6% use e-mail and 69.2% have an Internet Web site.

The volume of Internet-based sales reported was $4.4 billion, of which $4.2 billion was for the private sector and $200 million for the public sector. Total private sector Internet based sales accounted for 0.2% of economic activity in terms of total operating revenue.

For non-Internet users the most important reason for not using the Internet to purchase or sell goods or services was the belief that their goods or services do not lend themselves to concluding transactions over the Internet. Among Internet users, the most popular reason given for not using the Internet to purchase or sell was that they prefer to maintain their current business model.

This article compares the characteristics of the 10 largest independent film and video producers, as measured by production revenues, with all the others, over a 10-year period starting in 1988/89.

The economy was strong in 1999 and while consumers were interested in big-ticket items such as automobiles in the first quarter of the year their attention turned to services later in the year.

Canadians exhibited a dramatic shift in their sport participation rate from 1992 to 1998. According to the latest information released from Statistics Canada's General Social Survey (GSS), fewer Canadians aged 15 years and older reported participating in a sport in 1998 than six years earlier (down almost 11 percentage points).

In 1999, as part of its General Social Survey program, Statistics Canada conducted a survey on victimization and public perceptions of crime and the justice system. It was the third time that the General Social Survey (GSS) had examined victimization - previous surveys were conducted in 1993 and 1988.

For the 1999 survey, interviews were conducted by telephone with approximately 26,000 people, aged 15 and older, living in the 10 provinces. Respondents were asked for their opinions concerning the level of crime in their neighbourhood, their fear of crime and their views concerning the performance of the justice system. They were also asked about their experiences with criminal victimization. Those respondents who had been victims of a crime in the previous 12 months were asked for detailed information on each incident, including when and where it occurred; whether the incident was reported to the police; and how they were affected by the experience.

This Juristat presents an overview of the findings of the 1999 General Social Survey and makes comparisons to results from 1993 and 1988.

Retirement issues have risen to the forefront of socio-economic debate in Canada through the nineties and will likely gain importance as we enter the new millennium. Employer pension plans are one of the primary programs in place to provide workers with income after retirement.

Pension plans in Canada: statistical highlights and key tables presents information on the terms, conditions and membership on all employers sponsored pension plans in Canada. This supplement to publication Pension plans in Canada (74-401-XIB) provides analysis and data on registered pension plans. The topics covered include province of employment, labour force/paid workers coverage, type of plan (defined benefit and defined contributions), size of plan, public and private sectors, contributory and non-contributory plans, employee and employer contributions.

This publication presents current and constant price estimates of provincial gross domestic product (GDP) for over 50 industries covering the entire Canadian economy, including aggregates and special industry groupings. The document also includes a comprehensive analytical review of the economy of each province and territory with summary text, tables and charts.

This article looks at the fast-growing Computer Services industry in Canada, with a particular focus on software developers, data processing firms, systems consultants, and Internet service providers.

This article examines trends in teenage pregnancy in Canada, focussing on induced abortions, live births and fetal loss among women aged 15 to 19 in 1997.

This publication presents information on the income, expenditure and assets of all trusteed pension funds in Canada in both the public and private sectors. Data are presented at the Canada level. The publication contains an analysis of the funds based on the size of the fund, the number of members and the type of benefit. It is a continuation of a series of reports produced since 1957. As a single pool of investment capital in Canada, these funds are surpassed in size only by the aggregate reserves held by the chartered banks.

Often identified as an emerging sector, the environment industry continues to evolve into a complex industry that offers a wide range of technologies and services aimed at protecting the environment and improving environmental quality. This paper analyses Canada's trade in environmental goods and services and compares it with the trade profile of the world's largest environmental market, the United States. What is Canada's trade balance among the different segments of the environment industry? What are the market drivers for environmental goods and services? The relevance of this research is magnified by the current focus on environmental technologies and their key sub-sectors such as climate change technologies, water and wastewater systems and hazardous waste management. The government recently identified these sectors as targeted growth areas for Canada.

The ports handled a total of 274.3 million tonnes (Mt.) of cargo. Strong increases in domestic shipments, particularly in the forest sector were sufficient to offset a decline in international shipments, which were strongly affected by a decrease in iron ore shipments to US ports.

For the Canadian bus industry as a whole, the first six months of 1999 produced marginal financial improvements over the same months of the previous year. Gross revenues excluding subsidies grew by just over one half of one percent, rising from $1.58 billion in 1998 to $1.59 billion in 1999. Expenditures decreased slightly from $2.38 billion for the first two quarters of 1998 to $2.37 billion in 1999.

This online publication presents detailed annual financial and operating statistics on the Canadian cable television industry. Operational data are published on subscribers, households passed by cable, kilometres of cable, channel capacity and program hours. Financial statistics include detailed revenue and expense accounts, balance sheet and statement of retained earnings. The preamble to the publication consists of statistical highlights, a written analysis and text tables which display a financial and operating summary of the cable television industry. Also included is a glossary of terms for the industry.

This publication analyses interprovincial and international trade flows with provincial highlights enhanced by charts, contains tables that illustrate: how trade has evolved annually from 1992 to 1998; the types of goods and services traded; and, developments of economic linkages among the provinces.

Nearly 50,000 or one in five (22%) Canadian truck drivers on the road in 1998 were independent truckers or "owner-operators". However, similar to other forms of self-employment, the net-earnings and socio-economic characteristics of owner-operators have often been ignored by researchers for reasons of analytical convenience or data limitations. New data products recently released by Statistics Canada such as the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) have the potential to fill much of this gap. The 1997 SLID cross-sectional micro-data files offer a limited but meaningful insight into the work patterns of the owner-operator population, complementing and validating well-established business surveys such as the annual Small for-hire carrier and Owner-operator Survey (SFO). The purpose of this study, through a multivariate analysis of the 1997 SLID and the 1997 SFO survey, was to compare the work patterns and backgrounds of owner-operators to company drivers (paid truck drivers employed by carriers). The study found that while drivers may choose to be self-employed to gain independence, owner-operators tend to work longer hours to meet fixed and variable costs, in return for lower after-tax earnings and a greater likelihood of high work-life stress. The analysis also found that the odds of self-employment among truckers were highest among drivers over 40 years of age with no post-secondary training.

Statistics on hotels, motels, tourist camping grounds and other types of traveller accommodation (e.g., receipts, employment, expenses, occupancy) are provided in this publication. Also included are definitions, methodology, and notes on data quality.

Sub-provincial employment dynamics uses longitudinal data to produce year-to-year changes in the number of employer businesses, employment and payrolls in Canada. Changes are shown by size of business and by business life status, which includes entry, exit, growth and decline.

Censuses of Canada, 1665 to 1871, Statistics of Canada, Volume IV was printed in Ottawa, in 1876, from the Censuses of Canada, 1870-71. This volume contains about 343 statistical tables on the social and economic conditions in Canada from the earliest settlements to Confederation and onto 1871. The results from 98 censuses are arranged in chronological order, with some explanatory notes. In most cases, there are sufficient descriptions of the individual series to enable the reader to use them without consulting the numerous basic sources referenced in the publication.

An electronic version of this historical publication is accessible on the Internet site of Statistics Canada. The Introduction is a free downloadable document in text as HTML pages for on-line viewing and Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files for printing. The statistical tables are available through E-STAT* (which allows both on-line viewing and downloading).

In the final paper of this special issue, Estevao and Särndal consider two types of design-based estimators used for domain estimation. The first, a linear prediction estimator, is built on the principle of model fitting, requires known auxiliary information at the domain level, and results in weights that depend on the domain to be estimated. The second, a uni-weight estimator, has weights which are independent of the domain being estimated and has the clear advantage that it does not require the calculation of different weight systems for each different domain of interest. These estimators are compared and situations under which one is preferred over the other are identified.

This study uses data to study differences in labour productivity gains across domestic and foreign-controlled establishments in the manufacturing sector for the period 1973 to 1993. In doing so, it also examines the extent to which labour productivity differences exist between small and large establishments and across industry sectors and how they have been changing over time.

The analysis consists of three parts. In the first section, the connection between labour usage and output is examined. This analysis investigates differences in marginal labour propensities for the different subgroups in the short and long-run. Here volatility is seen to be lower for foreign-controlled establishments. The second section examines the difference between the growth in average labour productivity for the same groups. Here foreign-controlled establishments are seen to have the highest growth rates. The third section investigates whether any trend can be found in the rates of growth for large and small, domestic and foreign establishments and finds that these differences have been increasing over time.

Foreign ownership in the Canadian telecommunications industry has always been an important policy issue, and recent events have further emphasized the significance of this topic.

The purpose of this short report is to provide basic information on the relative importance of the different players in the industry.

In recent years, several economic forces have caused a change in the structure of the economy. Factors such as globalization and trade liberalization, among others, have intensified competition resulting in reallocation of resources among sectors in Canada. As business services, communications and wholesale trade emerged as engines of growth, it is generally perceived that the manufacturing industry has lost its significance. In contrast, a review of historical data on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) show that the share of manufacturing output was slightly up, from 17.2% in 1961 to 17.8% in 1998.

This paper reflects upon the importance of manufacturing in the economy and focuses on one industry - Primary Textiles. It concentrates on the evolution and significance of this industry within an overall changing economic structure using Statistics Canada's data base, CANSIM, results of the Annual Survey of Manufactures (1988 to 1997) along with current findings of the Monthly Survey of Manufacturing (1998 and 1999).

The latest issue consists of the article "Strong growth propels the electrical and electronic products industry into the 21st century" by Russell Kowaluk. Despite the recent turmoil in global stock markets, manufacturing in Canada is finally reaping the benefits of prosperity on many accounts, and such positive indicators are prevalent in one of Canada's more innovative, and dynamic industries, the electrical and electronic products industry (Major Group 33). Following a brief pause in 1996, the value of shipments surpassed the $30 billion mark in 1997. Employment levels recorded their strongest growth in ten years, while international trade estimates again achieved record highs.

This review paper highlights the results of the 1997 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM), and details various prevailing economic indicators, illustrating the growth in the electrical and electronic products industry. These factors will be highlighted and analyzed, and the electrical and electronic products sector will be compared to other industries and measured relative to the manufacturing sector as a whole. Key current indicators to be investigated include the value of shipments and costs of production, international trade and labor statistics.

This study investigates the determinants of failure for new Canadian firms. It explores the role that certain factors play in conditioning the likelihood of survival - factors related to industry structure, firm demographics and macroeconomic cycles. It asks whether the determinants of failure are different for new start-ups than for firms that have reached adolescence, and if the magnitude of these differences is economically significant. It examines whether, after controlling for certain influences, failure rates differ across industries and provinces.

Two themes figure prominently in this analysis. The first is the impact that certain industry characteristics - such as average firm size and concentration - have on the entry/exit process, either through their influence on failure costs or on the intensity of competition. The second centres on how the dimensions of failure evolve over time as new firms gain market experience.

This paper presents data from several of the most important income series. These integrated series use the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) data up to and including reference year 1995. From 1996 onwards, the data come from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID).

The most recent issue contains "Non-Electrical machinery industries post strong growth in 1997, with market uncertainty on the horizon" by Russell Kowaluk. Based on statistical information provided by the Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM), this article explores the machinery industries (except electrical machinery), discussing various key statistics including shipment value, input costs and labour information. Other significant economic indicators to be assessed include monthly manufacturing estimates, international trade statistics, and rates of capacity utilization and investment.

Canada's machinery industries remained one of the fastest growing manufacturing sectors in 1997. However, during the later half of 1998 and into 1999, recent developments confirm that the tide of prosperity the industry has benefited from in recent years has tapered off. The ensuing article discusses the industry, detailing the results of the 1997 ASM, and highlighting the economic climate now challenging the sector.

The economic performance of this industry is examined through its value of shipments, trade performance, capital expenditures and, employment trends. All four variables point to growth and another year of recovery from the recession of the early 1990s. The Free Trade Agreements and construction activities are the driving forces behind this decade's trends for the non-metallic mineral products industries.

This guide presents information of interest to users of data from the Survey of Household Spending. Data are collected via personal interviews conducted in January, February and March after the reference year using a paper questionnaire. Information is gathered about the spending habits, dwelling characteristics and household equipment of Canadian households during the reference year. The survey covers private households in the ten provinces and three territories. (The three territories are surveyed every second year.)

This guide includes definitions of survey terms and variables and descriptions of survey methodology and data quality. There is also a section describing the various statistics that can be created using expenditure data (e.g., budget share, market share, and aggregates).

Starting with the 1997 survey year, the Family Expenditure Survey was replaced by the Survey of Household Spending (SHS). This note provides information to users and prospective users of data from the SHS about the differences between the SHS and the former Family Expenditure Survey. Topics covered include sample size, number of questions, coverage, and concepts.

Starting with the 1997 survey year, the Household Facilities and Equipment Survey was replaced by the Survey of Household Spending (SHS). This note provides information to users and prospective users of data from the SHS about the differences between the SHS and the former Household Facilities and Equipment Survey. Topics covered include sample size, weighting, collection method, reference period, and concepts.

This report provides an overview of an inventory of publicly available data on the nonprofit sector.

Direct measures of skill attainment such as the International Adult Literacy Survey are used to assess the importance of educational outcome skills such as literacy in determining labour market outcomes such as earnings. Policy makers also use them to direct resources most efficiently. However, these skill measures are the product of complex statistical procedures. This paper examines the mathematical robustness of the International Adult Literacy Survey measures against other possibilities in estimating the impact of literacy on individual earnings.

With the release of the first quarter 2000 of the National Income and Expenditure Accounts the sectoring of federal and provincial government, non-autonomous pension plans has changed. These pension plans are now part of the personal sector. Previously these plans were included in either the federal or provincial government sector accounts.

The Cancer Record is a newsletter for cancer registries in Canada. Its main purpose is to improve the quality and consistency of data submitted to the Canadian Cancer Registry. The goals of the newsletter are to establish and continue communication among cancer registry personnel, establish a mechanism for identifying and resolving coding or reporting inconsistencies in the national registry and update cancer registries regarding the continued development at the national level.

This paper deals with a problem in internationally comparable economic statistics, namely, the fact that countries measure value added by industry differently. The economic measure, value added, is important both in its own right and because it is a component of other economic measures such as productivity. Value added by industry measures the additional value created by a production process. This additional value, created by factors of production such as labour and capital, may be calculated either before or after deducting the consumption of fixed capital used in production. Thus, gross value added by industry is the value of its output of goods and services less the value of its intermediate consumption of goods and services and net value added as the value of output less the values of both intermediate consumption and consumption of fixed capital.

The intent of this document is to provide an inventory of the surveys, databases, publications, articles and work in progress in Statistics Canada that relate to Canada's retirement income programs. The inventory provides information on publications, output and relevant data elements produced by the surveys and databases. It does not provide an exhaustive description of these data sources, but instead focuses on the information that can be used for purposes of researching/analysing retirement income programs. Some of the information contained does not specifically relate to these programs but might be used as a secondary source when doing research in this area.

The focus of Symposium'99 is on techniques and methods for combining data from different sources and on analysis of the resulting data sets. In this talk we illustrate the usefulness of taking such an "integrating" approach when tackling a complex statistical problem. The problem itself is easily described - it is how to approximate, as closely as possible, a "perfect census", and in particular, how to obtain census counts that are "free" of underenumeration. Typically, underenumeration is estimated by carrying out a post enumeration survey (PES) following the census. In the UK in 1991 the PEF failed to identify the full size of the underenumeration and so demographic methods were used to estimate the extent of the undercount. The problems with the "traditional" PES approach in 1991 resulted in a joint research project between the Office for National Statistics and the Department of Social Statistics at the University of Southampton aimed at developing a methodology which will allow a "One Number Census" in the UK in 2001. That is, underenumeration will be accounted for not just at high levels of aggregation, but right down to the lowest levels at which census tabulations are produced. In this way all census outputs will be internally consistent, adding to the national population estimates. The basis of this methodology is the integration of information from a number of data sources in order to achieve this "One Number".