Establishments with employees

In 2010, the Central Alberta Region had 13,201 establishments with employees, making up 9.0% of all establishments with employees in Alberta.  Of these establishments, 12,787 or 96.9% were small companies with between 1 and 49 employees. Micro-businesses with fewer than five employees have a 61.4% share of the region’s total number of companies and large companies with 50 or more employees have a 3.1% share, compared to the 4.4% Alberta average.

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

Between 2005 and 2010, there was an increase of 4.9% (or 619) in the total number of businesses in the Central Region and a 5.8% increase (or 696 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 Central Region, 67.2% of companies with employees were involved in Service Industries as of 2010.  Total growth in the number of service industries was 3.4% over the past five years, while total growth in the goods industries was higher at 8.1% over the same period. 

The largest industry in the region, comprising 15.1% of business establishments with employees in 2010, was Utilities and Construction, which is dominated by the construction sector.  By comparison, 13.8% of establishments with employees at the provincial level are in the Utilities and Construction sectors.  Construction companies account for 98.5% of the Utilities and Construction industry in this region.

The industry with the largest small business share in 2010 was Agriculture and Forestry: 99.4% of all businesses in this sector have fewer than 50 employees.

Over the past five years, the Utilities and Construction industry also experienced the highest growth in the number of businesses, up 16.6% between 2005 and 2010.  Other industries with strong growth over the past five years include Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction (up 13.8%), Health Care & Social Assistance (up 12%), and Information, Culture, Recreation and Arts (up 11.8%).  The Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing sector saw a 7.1% decline in the number of establishments over the same period.
The Central Region accounted for 18% of the number of establishments in Alberta’s Agriculture and Forestry industry, and had a 14% share for the Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction sector.  The agricultural sector accounted for more than 95% of the region’s total number of establishments in the Agriculture and Forestry industry.

 

Date Updated:
RDP-2335