CORPORATE
ISSUE VOLUME YEAR
BUSINESS PLANNING 1 1 2008
th
12 Floor ‐ Scotia Place
Tower 1
10060 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 3R8 MONTHLY
Social
Commentary
Prepared by: Kim Moore, Senior Economistt
Economic Trends/External Research
(780) 442-7086
Aboriginals in Edmonton
Highlights:
• Edmonton’s aboriginal population is growing with more Aboriginals choosing to move to the city.
• The Aboriginal population is generally younger than the rest of the population.
• Edmonton has made tremendous progress in increasing Aboriginal participation in the workforce
supported by the growing number of Aboriginal people in the working age group.
• More needs to be done to address core housing issues.
• The City of Edmonton is noted as a community that welcomes, supports, and embraces Aboriginal
contribution towards culture and economy, past, present and future.
On January 15, 2008 Statistics Canada released its statistics on Aboriginal people in Canada. Using 2006
Census data and other data sources, this analysis provides a statistical overview of the Aboriginal people in
Edmonton. Data pertaining to housing and
income of Aboriginal people will be released Aboriginal Population in the Edmonton Region 2001-2006
by Statistics Canada in July of 2008.
52,10
Analysis: 60,000
The population of Aboriginal people living 50,000
40,930
13,935
in Edmonton continues to grow.
Geographically, Aboriginal people are 40,000 10,565
concentrated in remote areas and in urban 30,000
centers in Western Canada. Compared to 38,170
other major metropolitan areas in Canada, 20,000 30,365
Edmonton has the second highest 10,000
concentration of aboriginal people in Canada.
Since 2001, the number of people who 0
2001 2006
identified themselves as an Aboriginal
City Rest of CMA
increased by 27% in the Edmonton region
reaching 52,095 in 2006. Of these persons, 73% lived in the City of Edmonton.
1
Monthly Economic Commentary
Aboriginals in Edmonton
The high rate of growth among the Aboriginal population can be attributed partly to their higher fertility
rates compared to the rest of the population. The Aboriginal birth rate is currently one and half times the
overall Canadian birth rate. Also, the Aboriginal death rate is lower than the Canadian rate by 40%, as their
younger age composition accounts for their lower mortality rates.
Aboriginal people have a much younger Aboriginal People in the City of Edmonton 2001-2006
median age than other Canadians. 11,640
Compared to the rest of the population, the 12,000
10,480
average age of an Aboriginal person was 9,495 9,695
10,000
25.7 compared to 35.7 for all 8,100
Edmontonians. The median age is the point 8,000
where exactly one half of the population is 5,965
older, and the other half is younger. 6,000
4,350
Children (0 to 14) and youths (15 to 24) 4,000
2,875
2,185
made up almost 50% of all Aboriginals 1,470 1,410
2,000
in Edmonton. 855
Since 2001, the number of Aboriginal 0
children increased by 10% while the 0-14 15-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65+
number of youth increased by 36%. 2001 2006
With anticipated labor shortages in Edmonton, the youth population will constitute an important pool of
labor. In Alberta, the need for skilled workers is so critical that the Alberta Government is promoting the
trades, particularly among Aboriginal youths. According to the provincial government, some 1,100
Aboriginal people were apprentices in 2006, up dramatically from 200 four years ago.
Like the rest of the population, the Aboriginal population is aging.
This aging is the result of declining fertility rates and gradual improvements in life expectancy. The largest
increases in the Aboriginal population occurred among seniors. Since 2001, the number of Aboriginal
seniors grew by 65%.
As in the non-Aboriginal population, women outnumber men. In 2006, among Aboriginal seniors 65 years
and older, 60% were women and 40% were men.
Given the increase in the number of Aboriginal people in the working age population (31%), it is not
surprising that more Aboriginals are now in the workforce.
Although Aboriginal unemployment rates remain higher, and participation rates lower than the rest of the
population, there is evidence that the current tight labor situation is starting to benefit Aboriginal workers. As
Alberta has led the west in job growth, off-reserve Aboriginal people in Alberta had the highest participation
(70.0%) and employment rates (64.1%) and lowest unemployment rate (8.5%) among Aboriginal people in
western Canada. As the Aboriginal employment rate increased, the non-Aboriginal employment rate
remained virtually unchanged, resulting in a narrowing of the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
people.1 One of the factors accounting for the increased labor market success of Aboriginal people is
increasing educational levels. Between 2001 and 2005, the number of Aboriginal people in western Canada
with university degrees jumped by 60%, from 5% in 2001 to 7% in 2005.
1
Luffman, Jacqueline; and D. Sussman (2007). “The Aboriginal Labor Force in Western Canada”. Perspectives on Labor and
Income. Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring, 2007).
Prepared by: Corporate Business Planning Department 2
City of Edmonton
Monthly Economic Commentary
Aboriginals in Edmonton
Edmonton has made tremendous progress in increasing Aboriginal participation in the workforce.
According to a report published by the Government of Alberta2, the largest share of the Aboriginal
workforce in Alberta was in Edmonton (33.4%) followed by Calgary (25%). From 2005 to 2006, the
number of employed Aboriginal people living off-reserve increased by 8.5% reaching 20,950.
Although Aboriginal people have made important strides in terms of employment, more needs to be
done to address core housing issues.
Aboriginal households in western provinces are in greater need of core housing with an average of 25%
being in core housing compared to 9.9% for non-Aboriginals.3 A household is said to be in need of core
housing if its housing falls below at least one of the standards of adequacy, suitability or affordability
standards, and it would have to spend more than 30% or more of its before tax household income on housing.
The disparity in income is likely to explain why more Aboriginal households are in core housing need than
their non-Aboriginal counterparts. As housing costs are the same for everyone, Aboriginal households must
devote a greater share of their income to shelter.
Homelessness also remains an important issue for Aboriginal people.
In Edmonton, Aboriginal people represent 38% of the homeless population but made up only 5% of the
population4. Factors related to homelessness include unemployment, welfare dependency, extreme poverty
and substance addictions.
Aboriginal people continue to face other significant social and economic disadvantages.
They are at risk for ill health, dysfunction and loneliness. Statistics indicate that Aboriginal people have
lower educational attainment, higher levels of family violence, three times the preventable disability rate,
higher crime rates, are in poorer health, have higher suicide rates, higher incidence of Type II diabetes and its
related complications, higher rates of infectious disease such as tuberculosis and AIDS, and higher rates of
respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer. Although Aboriginal people constitute only 5% of Alberta’s
population, they have the highest adult and youth incarceration rate at 38% and 33% respectively. These
conditions have serious implications for the long term employability and self-sufficiency of this growing
population.
The City of Edmonton is noted as a community that welcomes, supports, and embraces Aboriginal
contribution towards culture and economy, past, present and future.
Working with the Aboriginal community and other orders of government, the City established the Edmonton
Urban Aboriginal Accord Initiative to better meet the needs of the Aboriginal population in 2004. This
project has transitioned from project status to the City of Edmonton Aboriginal Relations Office in 2007.
The office will support the City’s objective of improved Aboriginal relations locally and regionally, improve
hiring and retention of Aboriginal people in the City workforce and improve delivery of City mandated
services to Aboriginal people in Edmonton.
2
Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry (2007). 2006 Annual Alberta Labor Market Review.
3
Holmes (2006). Urban Aboriginal Households: A Profile of Demographic, Housing, and Economic Conditions of Canada’s
Prairie and Territory Region. Ottawa: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
4
Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing (October 2006). Out in the Cold A Count of Homeless Persons in Edmonton.
Prepared by: Corporate Business Planning Department 3
City of Edmonton
Monthly Economic Commentary
Aboriginals in Edmonton
Implications for the City of Edmonton
The growing Aboriginal population will contribute to the growing diversity of the labor force.
This diversity will be manifested in an increasing share of the labor force being comprised of immigrants,
Visible Minorities and Aboriginal persons. As Edmonton’s population ages and labor force shortages grow,
it is expected that the successful recruitment of Aboriginal people to the workforce will be an increasingly
important social and economic resource to the city. In order to capitalize on the strengths that Aboriginal
people bring, Edmonton need to ensure that they do not impose barriers to the full inclusion of Aboriginals in
the community. In a national and international environment that will be increasingly competitive for labor,
Edmonton must be seen as a “community of choice”.
Culturally appropriate services and programs of assistance designed to respect and incorporate the
uniqueness of Aboriginal traditions and beliefs and delivered by culturally competent care givers or
service provides are needed.
Some strategies identified by other municipalities include jointly designed programs with Aboriginal
communities or to have programs delivered by and for Aboriginal people by themselves. This type of
strategy would have long term implications for the integration of Aboriginal people within the urban setting.
Improved access to and utilization of services is dependent upon collaboration and partnership between all
levels of government to develop and implement a common vision that strengthens and protects Aboriginal
cultural values and traditions. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of current and future needs,
aspirations for the future, challenges and opportunities available to Aboriginal people will help build the
capacity within Edmonton to create sustainable solutions.
Who We Are
The Economic Trends/External Research Section of Corporate Business Planning supports the
Department’s mandate of providing decision support to the Corporation (understanding, guiding and
supporting the business) by providing quality research on economic, social and demographic trends facing
the City of Edmonton today. Part of our mandate is to provide social commentaries on key social or
demographic issues facing the City of Edmonton. When information is released from research groups
such as Statistics Canada, our Section takes a leadership role in choosing major topic areas as well as in
crafting the commentaries, but will work with other key stakeholders within the City to ensure that these
commentaries capture initiatives already being undertaken.
This commentary reflects the Senior Economist’s current knowledge and is provided for general
information purposes only. Any reliance or actions taken on the information, materials and techniques
described are the responsibility of the user. Corporate Business Planning assumes no responsibility for
any consequence arising from use of the information, materials and techniques described.
For further information on this commentary, please contact:
Kim Moore at (780) 442-7086.
Many of our publications are free on line at: Home > City Government > Departments & Branches >
Corporate Business Planning > Economic Trends and External Research
Prepared by: Corporate Business Planning Department 4
City of Edmonton