Tourism satellite account: Human resource module update

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The research paper "Human resource module of the tourism satellite account, update to 2005" provides information on the human resource dimension of tourism, updated from 2002 to 2005. The human resource module (HRM) complements the analytical capacity of the Tourism Satellite Account and the National Tourism Indicators, and gives a broader insight into tourism's role in the economy.

The HRM provides information on the number of jobs, hours worked, and employment earnings according to whether jobs are full-time or part-time, by occupation. The same information is also available according to gender, age group and immigrant status of employees.

Information is available for all tourism industries, aggregated into five industry groups: transportation (air transportation and other transportation), accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment and travel services.

According to the paper, 1.8 million jobs were held in the five industry groups in 2005. This represented about 11% of the 16.5 million jobs in the economy that year.

About 502,700 of these jobs could be directly attributed to tourism demand, or spending, according to the National Tourism Indicators.

The number of jobs in the tourism industries increased 0.9% in 2005. This came on the heels of a strong 2.1% rebound in 2004 from SARS-related job losses in the previous year. In contrast, the number of jobs in the economy as a whole rose 1.6% in 2005, following a 1.9% gain in 2004.

Three groups posted solid gains: air transportation (+3.5%), accommodation (+2.5%) and travel services (+4.5%), industries that are highly dependent on tourism demand. Job growth was much weaker in recreation and entertainment, and food and beverage services where tourism demand is less of a factor.

Each job in the tourism industries averaged 1,554 hours a year in 2005, compared to an economy-wide average of 1,738 hours per job. On a per job basis, hours worked fell 1.9% in tourism in 2005, more than twice the decline of 0.8% economy-wide.

Hourly compensation in tourism in 2005 was $17.75 per hour, up 6.1% from a year earlier. Hourly compensation averaged $25.21 across all jobs in the economy, up a somewhat weaker 4.4%.

The fastest growing employer since 1997 was the recreation and entertainment sector. It accounted for one in five jobs in 2005, up from one in six in 1997.

Women held just over half of all employee jobs in tourism in 2005, although this proportion varied across industries. For example, they held 72% of jobs in the travel services sector. There was also a significant variation in women's wages and salaries. Jobs in the "other" transportation group paid the most ($38,200), and food and beverages jobs the least ($15,700).

Canadian youth aged 15 to 24 were more likely to be part-timers than other tourism workers; they held two-thirds of all part-time jobs in tourism industries in 2005. Both young and older (45 years and over) Canadians have been a growing source of labour for tourism industries since 1997.

Note: This update incorporates revised data from the Labour Force Survey and the Canadian Productivity Accounts, leading to revised estimates for 1997 to 2002. It provides only the annual total employment in the tourism industries. Estimates of the employment that can be directly attributed to tourism demand, or spending by tourists, will be released in the fall of 2007. The HRM is funded jointly by the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and Statistics Canada.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 1910.

The research paper "Human resource module of the tourism satellite account, update to 2005" is now available as part of the Income and Expenditure Accounts Technical Series (13-604-MIE2007055, free) from the Publications module of our website.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact the information officer (613-951-3640), Income and Expenditure Accounts Division.