Federal government employment in census metropolitan areas

Federal government employment totalled 369,300 in September, with 276,900 working in a metropolitan area. Across the country, federal government workers accounted for about 2.4% of total employment within census metropolitan areas.

Of the total federal government employees across the country, 31% were within Ottawa–Gatineau. This continues the upward trend from 26% in September 1990 when this series was first initiated.

On the other hand, the federal government represented 19% of all employment in the Ottawa–Gatineau metropolitan area, down from the peak of 22% in September 1992.

Halifax had the second highest proportion of federal public servants at 8.0% of total employment as of September. Other proportions ranged from 5.4% in Kingston to 0.2% in Oshawa.

Data for this release are based on the 2001 Standard Geographical Classification (SCG) census metropolitan definition. Consequently, two CMAs (Abbotsford, British Columbia and Kingston, Ontario) were added since the release last year, which was based on the 1991 SCG classification. Data for smaller areas such as census agglomerations have not been developed due to the unavailability of detailed information.

Note: The term "Federal Government" presented in this release includes all organizations controlled by the federal government that are not-for-profit and perform non-commercial services. The Canadian military (regular forces and reservists) as well as uniformed RCMP members are included. However, the employees of Federal Government Business Enterprises that operate as commercial corporations (such as Canada Post or Via Rail) are not included.

Caution should be used when comparing these "Federal Government" employment statistics to Federal government public administration on a North American Industry Classification System basis. The latter is only a sub-set of the former. Results from the Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours, and the Labour Force Survey are used to derive published employment series by industry.

Available on CANSIM: table 183-0003.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 1713.

Labour Force Survey data can be found on CANSIM tables 282-0052 and 282-0001.

Data tables on public sector employment are also available online in the Canadian Statistics module of our Web site.

The estimates for September 2004 have been revised.

For general information or to order data, contact Joanne Rice (613-951-0767; joanne.rice@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Kim Balson (613-951-4855; kimberly.balson@statcan.gc.ca), Public Institutions Division.