Canadian Internet Use Survey

The 2005 Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS) asked more than 30,000 Canadians aged 18 years and older about their Internet use over a 12-month period, including the number and value of their online orders.

For the purposes of this study, the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector includes the following four-digit industries as defined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS 2002) :

Although some ICT industries are defined at the five-digit industry level, data from CIUS are available only at the four-digit level. The decision on whether or not to include industries at the four-digit level was based on the value-added contribution of respective six-digit industries in the input–output tables. As the majority of their value-added share comes from non-ICT industries, (NAICS 4179 (Other Machinery, Equipment and Supplies Wholesaler–Distributors) and 5324 (Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing) are excluded from the sector definition for the purposes of this study.

The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (PST) sector (NAICS 54) comprises nine four-digit industries whose establishments are primarily engaged in activities in which human capital is the major input. Note that (NAICS 5415 (Computer Systems Design and Related Services) belongs to both the ICT and PST sectors.  As this study uses the PST sector as a control group for the purposes of comparison with the ICT sector, industry 5415 is included only in the ICT sector figures reported in this study and not in those of the PST sector.  The PST sector definition in this study includes the following four-digit industries: