Establishments with employees

In 2010, the Peace Country Region had 7,238 establishments with employees, making up 4.9% of all establishments with employees in Alberta.  Of these establishments, 6,992 or 96.6% were small companies with between 1 and 49 employees.  Micro-businesses with fewer than five employees have a 61.5% share of the region’s total number of companies and large companies with 50 or more employees have a 3.4% share, compared to the 4.4% Alberta average.

Number of Establishments by Employee Size in 2010: Peace Country Region and Alberta

Between 2005 and 2010, there was an increase of 4.7% (or 328 companies) in the total number of businesses in the Peace Country Region and a 6.1% rise (or 401 companies) in the number of small businesses.  By comparison, at the provincial level, the total number of businesses increased by 2.3% and small companies experienced an increase of 3.4% over the same period.

In the Peace Country Region, 64% of companies with employees were involved in service industries in 2010.  The total number of companies in service industries rose by 4.0% over the past five years, while the goods industry had a 6.2% increase over the same period. 

Utilities and Construction is the largest industry in the region, making up 15.4% of establishments with employees in the Peace Country Region.  By comparison, 13.8% of establishments with employees are engaged in the Utilities and Construction industry at the provincial level.  Construction companies account for almost 99% of the Utilities and Construction industry in this region.  Other large industries are Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction, Other Services (mainly repair and maintenance), and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.

Over the past five years, the Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction industry experienced the highest growth in the number of businesses, up 27.0% between 2005 and 2010.  The Administrative and Waste Management Services and Management of Companies industry, Utilities and Construction, and Education also had large increases of more than 10% in the number of establishments over the same period.  Agriculture and Forestry registered the largest decline: down 16.1% between 2005 and 2010. 

 

Date Updated:
RDP-2340