Establishments with employees

In 2010, the Palliser Region had 4,758 establishments with employees, making up 3.2% of all establishments with employees in Alberta.  Of these establishments, 4,596 or 96.6% were small companies with between 1 and 49 employees. Micro-businesses with fewer than five employees have a 58.1% 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: Palliser Region and Alberta

Between 2005 and 2010, there was a decrease of 3.4% (or 166 companies) in the total number of businesses in the Palliser Region and a 2.6% decline (or 125 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 Palliser Region, 67% of companies with employees were involved in Service Industries as of 2010.  The total number of companies in service industries fell by 1.4% over the past five years, while the goods industry had a 7.3% decline over the same period. 

Utilities and Construction is the largest industry in the region, making up 12.3% of establishments with employees in the Palliser 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.  Other large industries are Retail Trade, Other Services (mainly repair and maintenance), and Agriculture and Forestry (almost all companies in the latter industry are agricultural).

Over the past five years, the Health Care and Social Assistance industry experienced the highest growth in the number of businesses, up 10.2% between 2005 and 2010.  Manufacturing registered the largest decline: down 20.3% between 2005 and 2010.  The Education and Agriculture and Forestry industries also had large declines of more than 10% in the number of establishments over the same period.

Date Updated:
RDP-2339