Establishments with employees

In 2010, the North Central Region had 1,806 establishments with employees, making up 1.2% of all establishments with employees in Alberta.  Of these establishments 1,763 or 97.8% were small companies with between 1 and 49 employees.  This region has the second highest small business share (97.8%) of any Alberta region, as well as the second highest share of micro-businesses with fewer than five employees (62.5%).  The share of large companies with 50 or more employees is 2.4%, well below the Alberta average of 4.4%.

Number of Establishments by Employee Size in 2010: North Central Region and Alberta

Between 2005 and 2010, there was a decline of 2.4% (or 45 companies) in the total number of businesses in the North Central Region and a 2.1% decrease (or 38 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 North Central Region, 63% of companies with employees were involved in Service Industries in 2010.  The total number of companies in service industries declined by 3.5% over the past five years, while the goods industry had a 0.6% drop over the same period. 

Utilities and Construction is the largest industry in the region, making up 15.1% of establishments with employees in the North Central 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 about 97% of the Utilities and Construction industry in this region.

Over the past five years, the Utilities and Construction industry also experienced the highest growth in the number of businesses, up 14.3% between 2005 and 2010.  During that period, the second largest industry, Agriculture and Forestry, registered a large 15.1% decline in the number of businesses.  About 90% of the number of businesses in that industry is in the agricultural sector.  The Accommodation and Food Services and Education sectors also had sizeable declines over the same period.

Date Updated:
RDP-2337