Region at a glance

The Wood Buffalo region in north eastern Alberta covers an area of 97,267 square kilometers, larger in size than Hungary.  The region accounts for 15.2% of Alberta’s land mass and for 1.8% of Alberta’s population.  

According to Statistics Canada’s latest estimates, the region’s population totaled 66,900 in 2010, an increase of 20.5% from 2006.  According to the Labour Force Survey about 45,000 people were employed in the region in 2010, and the unemployment rate was 4.8%, down from 5.2% in 2009.

The region’s largest industry on an employment basis is oil and gas, accounting for more than one-quarter of total employment in 2010, followed by construction at 12% and retail trade at 11%.  The fastest growing industries between 2006 and 2010 were retail trade, oil and gas, construction and accommodation and food services. 

According to personal income taxfiler data the average individual income was $72,000 in 2007, a large 41% increase from 2003.  Average income for couples was $163,900 in 2007, a 39% rise from 2003.

The Wood Buffalo region is Alberta’s top crude oil producer because of its vast oil sands reserves, accounting for just over one-half of Alberta’s total crude oil output.  It is also one of the top regions for drilling activity.  As a result of strong oil sands investment, the region accounts for a large share of Alberta’s construction activity, as 51% of Alberta’s major projects, that have been recently completed, are planned or underway, are located in Wood Buffalo.

Although very few current indicators are available on a regional basis, it is clear that the impacts of the global economic crisis have also subsided in this region; for instance the number of Employment Insurance beneficiaries receiving regular benefits in the Wood Buffalo region fell by 4% between 2009 and 2010, and by 8% between June 2010 and June 2011.

Date Updated:
RDP-2466