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Structure and trends
Despite the transformations now rippling through the Canadian marketplace,
the most dramatic structural change our economy has undergone is the
rise of the services sector. Though our goods-producing industries account
for 33% of our national economy, the Canadian services sector is much
larger, employing three out of four Canadians and generating two-thirds
of our gross domestic product.
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![Photo - Delivery by truck](/web/20071116022716im_/http://www43.statcan.ca/03/03a/img/03a_001_1.jpg) |
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Delivery by truck
Photo: Comstock
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What exactly makes up the Canadian services sector? It is easy to picture
the physical products churned out by our manufacturing, agriculture,
mining, forestry and construction industries, but the value of the services
sector is less tangible. Goods need to be delivered, and this involves
storage services, truck drivers, rail carriers and bicycle couriers.
The actual exchange of goods often requires legal and financial services
to process the transactions. Canadians also want to shop, eat out and
be entertained by movies, operas, concerts and ballets. And nearly every
aspect of government activity—from health care to education to
national defence—is a service provided to Canadian citizens.
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