An analysis of primary and secondary sector employment in Canada in relation to the distribution of median income

Abstract

The Canadian economy continues to become more ‘advanced’ and is shifting towards more service jobs; tertiary, quaternary, and quinary. As a result, the Canadian job market now focusses less on direct resource and manufacturing employment. These changes are occurring in the context of globalization where productivity is continually being improved upon and higher education is greatly valued. This study addresses employment activity in the primary and secondary sector in Canada. This analysis is done to get a better understanding of the continued importance of these employment activities in a country that is focussing on more professional and service jobs. In order to analyze the primary and secondary sector in Canada, three variables have been used. The three variables are: 1) mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; 2) agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting; and 3) manufacturing. ArcMap has been used in this study to provide a visual representation of the spatial distribution of each of these three variables by according to a low, middle, and high range of industry activity. Locations in Canada that are categorized as low, middle and high in terms of industrial activity are also compared by median income. This research indicates that primary and secondary sector activity in Canada is still very important to the national economy as well as numerous local economies in Canada.