Abstract

The maps of growth rates for the period 1986 to 1996 tell us how many jobs each city has added relative to its size, so that cities can be compared. Those cities that have special advantages for service activity will be the places that grow in the future. The difference in the employment totals (1996 value minus 1986 value) is called the absolute growth; and the absolute growth divided by the 1986 value is called the growth rate (absolute growth / 1986 value). Almost all places with a growth rate of more than 40% in total service employment over the decade are located in Alberta, British Columbia or within 200 kilometres of Toronto or Montréal. Saskatchewan and Manitoba do very poorly, and the Atlantic provinces and other parts of Ontario and Quebec display a variety of growth rates, some being high but most low.