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7
TRANSPORTATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Workforce
Throughout the period 1996 to 2000, full-time employment in
the transportation industry increased by 9.3 per cent in
Canada. While employment has been steadily increasing since 1996,
the largest increase was recorded in 1999, when employment grew
by 3.2 per cent.
In 2000, there were an estimated 853,600 people working in
the transport sector, a 2.2 per cent increase over 1999 levels.
This constituted the second largest increase recorded since 1997,
with more than 18,000 jobs created. Transportation services accounted
for 75 per cent of full-time employment in 2000. Employees
involved in activities related to transport infrastructure and
associated services accounted for 10 and 11 per cent, respectively,
while personnel employed by government departments and agencies
accounted for the remaining three per cent.
Historically, the trucking industry has been the transportation
sector's major employer, and this remained the case in 2000, with
trucking accounting for 37.1 per cent of total full-time
employment. The air industry ranked second with an estimated 130,600 employees,
a 5.8 per cent increase over 1999 figures.
This chapter is divided in six sections. The first four pertain
to full-time employment in the different segments of the transport
industry. They are:
- Transport services
- Transport infrastructure
- Government services tied to transportation
- Associated services
Average salaries across modes are covered in the fifth section.
The last section deals with labour actions.
Table 7-1 shows employment in the transport industry, by category,
for the period 1996 to 2000.
Transport Services
Rail
The number of employees directly involved in the provision
of rail transport services accounted for an average 73 per cent
of total employees between 1995 and 1999, even though employment
declined by 17.4 per cent over the same period. Although
reductions of personnel were recorded in all employment categories,
cuts were concentrated in jobs related directly to the transportation
function.
In 1999, employment figures showed a 3.5 per cent decrease
for activities tied to rail transport services compared with 1998
levels. A 3.3 per cent increase was recorded in personnel classified
as general. Although this increase put an end to the declining
trend shown by this employment category between 1995 and 1999,
it was outweighed by the 6.1 and three per cent declines in the
transportation and equipment maintenance employment categories,
respectively, that same year. Class I carriers were the major
contributors to the employment decline in 1999, having reduced
their personnel by more than 1,000 people.
Table 7-2 shows the employment in rail transport services,
by category, from 1995 to 1999.
Figure 7-1 shows the distribution of rail employment in 1999
by category.
Trucking
Medium and Large For-Hire Trucking FirmsNote 1
In 1999, employment by medium and large for-hire trucking companies
had its greatest increase in five years. The number of truck drivers
increased by 6.3 per cent, while maintenance, garage, terminal
and other personnel rose by 17.6 per cent, leading to an overall
11 per cent increase in employment over 1998. From 1995 to 1999,
drivers accounted for a little more than 50 per cent of the personnel
at medium and large for-hire trucking firms. In 1999, the proportion
of drivers averaged 55 per cent.
Table 7-3 shows the number of people employed by medium and
large for-hire trucking firms from 1995 to 1999.
In 1999, there were 102,637 employees working for medium and
large for-hire trucking companies. Employees in Ontario accounted
for 40 per cent of this figure, while those working in the Prairies
and Quebec accounted for 25 and 20 per cent, respectively. Although
employment grew in all regions, the largest increases were in
Ontario and the Prairies, with employment up by more than 3,700
people.
Table 7-4 shows the regional distribution of personnel working
for medium and large for-hire firms in 1998 and 1999.
Small For-Hire Carriers
The number of employees working for small for-hire trucking
companies slightly increased in 1998 by four per cent.
This increase was entirely driven by a rise in full-time personnel,
which accounted for 76 per cent of all workers employed by small
for-hire carriers.
Table 7-4 shows the number of full-time and part-time personnel
working for small for-hire trucking firms in 1997 and 1998.
Private Carriers
In 1998, there were 17,600 employees working for private carriers.
Local drivers accounted for 45 per cent of this total, while other
personnel and highway drivers accounted for 30 and 25 per cent,
respectively. Firms in Ontario and Quebec employed the majority
of workers, accounting for 43 and 28 per cent, respectively.
Table 7-4 shows the regional distribution of employment by
private trucking carriers, by category, for 1997 and 1998.
Owner-Operators
In 1998, there were 63,304 full-time employees working for
owner-operators. Firms located in Ontario and the Prairies were
the major employers of these workers, with 34 and 27 per cent,
respectively.
Table 7-4 shows the regional distribution of full-time personnel
employed by owner-operators in 1997 and 1998.
Total Trucking Employment
Total employment in the trucking industry increased by five
per cent from 1995 to 1998. Owner-operators were the major contributors
to this increase, with nearly 6,000 jobs created in this
sector throughout the same period. In 1998, employment increased
in all sectors, with the largest rise being recorded in the number
of delivery drivers. Although a detailed breakdown of personnel
was not available by sector for 1999, estimates indicate a 4.3 per
cent increase in employment over 1998 levels. In 1999, medium
and large for-hire trucking firms reported an 11 per cent increase
in employment.
Table 7-5 shows the employment in the trucking industry, by
sector, from 1995 to 1999.
Bus
Employment in the bus industry increased by five per cent
from 1995 to 1999. In 1999, the number of full-time employees
grew by less than two per cent. Of the total 64,057 employees
working in the bus sector that year, 58 per cent worked for
urban transit companies and 31 per cent worked for school
bus companies.
Intercity operators have reduced their personnel significantly
since the mid-1990s. In 1999, the number of employees totalled
3,127, a 1.8 per cent decrease since 1996. Major cuts took place
in the other personnel categories, as well as in the number of
drivers in 1998.
In 1999, employment declined by two per cent in the school
bus industry. This decrease was driven mainly by a reduction in
the number of drivers. Despite this, the school bus sector showed
the strongest growth in the bus industry, with more than 4,000
jobs created between 1995 and 1999.
Charter operators and shuttle bus companies reported increases
in total full-time personnel for the second year in a row. In
1999, the increase in drivers employed by charter operators outweighed
the decline in mechanics and other personnel, leading to an overall
increase of 4.3 per cent in employment. In the shuttle
bus industry, employment increased in all categories in 1999,
with drivers accounting for 65 per cent of the new employees.
Urban transit employment increased by 3.6 per cent in 1999.
This increase put an end to the declining trend recorded over
the last four years. Transport operations and vehicle maintenance
personnel displayed their highest levels since 1996.
Table 7-6 shows the full-time employment figures in the bus
industry from 1995 to 1999.
Taxi and Limousine Services
Employment in this segment of the industry cannot be determined
precisely on an annual basis. In 2000, the number of employees
involved in the provision of taxi and limousine services was estimated
at 39,000. This figure was derived by applying the annual growth
rate (calculated over the period 1991 to 1996) in the taxi and
limousine industry to the 1996 census data.Note 2 In 1996, workers
in Ontario and Quebec accounted for 39 and 24 per cent
of total employment, respectively.
Marine
From 1996 to 2000, average annual employment in the marine
transport industry, including incidental services, increased by
2.9 per cent. In 2000, the number of people working in this sector
totalled 30,266, the highest level of employment recorded over
the last five years and an 8.4 per cent increase over
1999 levels.
In 2000, average annual employment, excluding services incidental
to marine transport, increased by 11 per cent. Although
employment rose in all regions, three provinces accounted for
85 per cent of the total increase: British Columbia, Ontario and
Quebec. The number of workers in these provinces increased by
more than 500 in 2000. British Columbia and the Atlantic Region
had the highest employment levels between 1996 and 2000, accounting
for 43 and 25 per cent of total employment, respectively.
Table 7-7 shows average annual employment in the marine transport
industry from 1996 to 2000.
Ferry Operators
Total employment figures for Canadian ferry operators declined
by 17 per cent between 1996 and 1999. This decrease was mainly
due to a 50 per cent drop in the number of employees working in
the Atlantic Region after the completion of the Confederation
Bridge to Prince Edward Island in 1997. The level of employment
has remained relatively stable since then. Personnel employed
by ferry operators in British Columbia dropped slightly in 1998
and 1999 returning to close to 1996 employment levels.
Table 7-8 shows the employment figures for Canadian ferry operators,
by region between 1995 and 1999.
Figure 7-2 shows the regional distribution of employment by
Canadian ferry operators in 1999.
Air
Employment in the air industry increased by 28.5 per cent
over the last five years. In the mid-1990s, more than 75 per cent
of all people working in the air sector were employed by Levels
I-III air carriers. This proportion has been steadily decreasing
since 1996, averaging 64 per cent in 1999. Nevertheless,
increases in personnel were recorded in all air employment categories
from 1995 to 1999.
In 1999, employment by Levels I-III air carriers increased
by less than two per cent. Pilots and co-pilots accounted for
65 per cent of this increase, while management and administrative
personnel accounted for 26 per cent. Employment by Level IV carriers
declined by 8.6 per cent in 1999, the largest decline recorded
over the last five years.
Table 7-9 shows the employment in the air industry from 1995
to 1999.
Other
There are a number of employees working for companies providing
public passenger transit services or other services incidental
to the bus transport sector that are not captured by Statistics
Canada's survey on the bus industry. These employees are reported
under the "other'' public passenger transit employment figures
in Table 7-10. From 1996 to 2000, employment in this category
increased by 12 per cent despite a slight decline in 1997.
In 2000, there were 40,350 people employed in "other transportation''
positions, the highest employment level recorded in this category
since 1996.
While personnel employed in the pipeline transportation sector
declined by four per cent over the last five years, it grew by
five per cent in 2000.
Table 7-10 shows the employment in other directly transport-related
occupations from 1996 to 2000.
Data Gaps in Transportation Services
The number of employees involved in the provision of transport
services is likely to be underestimated by the figures reported
in this section of the report due to the absence of detailed information
or the inexistence of the data in certain segments of the industry.
For example, employment figures for Levels V and VI air carriers,
general aviation or private air carriers were not available. In
the marine sector, the number of employees associated with shipping
conferences operating in Canada is unknown. In addition, it was
not possible to determine precisely the personnel working for
taxi and limousine companies since actual figures will not be
available until the 2001 census is conducted. Many other workers
employed by foreign carriers operating to and/or from Canada are
not captured in the employment figures.
Transport Infrastructure
This section discusses employment at airports, harbours, ports
and other transport facilities. It also covers personnel specifically
devoted to the construction and maintenance of air, marine, rail
and road infrastructure.
Rail
Throughout the period 1995 to 1999, the total number of employees
involved in activities related to rail infrastructure services
declined by 14.7 per cent. In 1999, the decrease in employment
figures averaged seven per cent, the largest decrease
recorded in the last three years. The reduction in the number
of Class I personnel was the major contributor to this decline,
with a seven per cent drop. Also in 1999, Class II and III rail
carriers underwent a 7.6 per cent decline in employment.
Employees devoted to the construction and maintenance of tracks,
structures and signal installations accounted for an average 27 per cent
of total employees over the last five years in the rail industry
and for Class I carriers. This ratio was 32 per cent for
Class II and III rail carriers.
Table 7-11 gives a breakdown of the number of employees in
rail infrastructure services from 1995 to 1999.
Highways
Employment in the construction and the maintenance of Canadian
highways is strongly influenced by economic and seasonal considerations.
Employment cannot be determined precisely on an annual basis for
highway departments at the federal, provincial or municipal levels.
In 2000, an estimated 68,900 people were employed in highway
and heavy construction. This figure was derived by applying the
growth rate of government expenditures on roads calculated over
the 1996 - 2000 period to the 1996 census data.Note 3 This estimate
is likely to overstate the actual number of people directly involved
in the construction and maintenance of highways in Canada, since
the proportion of employees performing heavy construction could
not be deducted.
Marine
Canadian Port Authorities
In 2000, the total number of employees working for Canadian
Port Authorities decreased by 7.2 per cent compared with the previous
year's figures. The number of personnel declined in all employment
categories, but the overall decrease was driven mainly by a reduction
in the number of part-time employees.
Table 7-12 shows the employment figures for Canadian Port Authorities,
by category, for the period 1998 to 2000.
St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation
Throughout the 1996 - 1998 period, total employment reported
by the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority (SLSA) declined by 12 per
cent, a decrease driven mainly by a reduction in the personnel
working in operations. In December 1998, the SLSA became the St.
Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), and in 1999, employment
decreased by a further eight per cent, again due mainly to a reduction
in the number of operations employees. Preliminary data for the
first eight months of 2000 indicated no variation in the number
of full-time employees working for the SLSMC, although the distribution
of these employees among the different employment categories changed
slightly.
Table 7-13 shows the employment figures of the St. Lawrence
Seaway Authority and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation
from 1996 to 2000.
Air
In 2000, there were 2,972 employees working for airports in
the National Airports System (NAS), 4.7 per cent more
than in 1999. Canadian Airport Authorities (CAA) and Local Airport
Authorities (LAA) were the main employers of these people. Transport
Canada employees in transit, which accounted for less than four
per cent of this number, declined by 63 per cent. The largest
increases in personnel were recorded in central and eastern Canada.
The employment figures reported by CAAs and LAAs in the central
region were 10 per cent higher than last year, while the
employment in the Atlantic Region more than doubled.
Table 7-14 shows the number of airport employees in Canada's
National Airports System in 2000.
Data Gaps in Transportation Infrastructure
The actual number of employees working at transport facilities
or devoted to the construction and maintenance of Canadian infrastructure
is not accurately reflected in this section. Many employees have
not been captured due to the lack of detailed information or the
non-existence of data. For example, the number of employees responsible
for the construction and maintenance of highways in Canada could
not be identified precisely because the percentage of workers
involved in heavy construction is unknown. The marine employment
figures do not include personnel working in private firms and
terminals, employed by non-port authorities, performing dredging,
construction and maintenance of piers and berths, or occupying
other infrastructure-related functions. Finally, airport employment
excludes the employees of airports or facilities not belonging
to the National Airports System.
Government Services Tied to Transportation
Federal Government Services
In 2000/01, the number of full-time employees the federal government
planned to assign to transportation declined by three per cent
to 8,488. These workers are primarily employed at Transport Canada
and the Canadian Coast Guard. However, the figures reported do
not accurately reflect the number of employees occupying transport-related
functions throughout federal government departments and agencies.
This is because employment figures are not available at a detailed
enough level to allow these transport activities to be clearly
identified. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada Customs and
Revenue Agency, Heritage Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada,
the National Capital Commission and the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police are among the federal departments and agencies with employees
performing activities tied to transportation who are not captured
in these employment figures.
Table 7-15 shows the planned full-time equivalents devoted
directly to transportation in federal departments and agencies
over the past five years.
Provincial and Territorial Government Services
From 1996 to 2000, the estimated number of employees involved
in the provision of transport services has been steadily declining
in provincial and territorial governments. Estimates of governmental
services tied to transportation are reported at the beginning
of this chapter. However, the employment figures shown in the
summary Table 7-1 are likely to underestimate the number of employees
provinces and territories actually devote to transport activities,
as these figures do not capture employees providing highway patrol
services and policing, safety or regulatory services, as well
as those performing truck inspections.
Municipal Government Services
The number of municipal employees responsible for the construction
and maintenance of roads, snow removal, vehicle parking lots,
policing or occupying other transport-related functions has not
been reported, since it was not possible to develop a comprehensive
estimate of these personnel figures on a national scale.
Associated Services
There is a wide variety of services incidental to air, marine
and surface transportation. Associated services related to "operations"
include food catering, equipment maintenance, insurance, marine
bunkering and towing, and navigation support (traffic control,
marine pilotage). Services related to "sales" include
employees working for travel agencies, tour operators and wholesalers,
intermodal marketing companies, freight brokers and forwarders,
to list a few. Finally, there are a large number of people providing
administrative support or other related functions, and many modal
associations and unions in air, marine and surface transport with
administrative and other employees. The estimate of total employment
in the transport sector would not be accurate if the personnel
involved in providing these services were not included.
In this section, employment figures for a certain number of
these associated services are presented: employment by marine
pilotage authorities and maritime employers associations, full-time
personnel employed by travel agencies, tour operators and wholesalers
and NAV Canada personnel levels. The content of this section is
limited by the lack of availability of further information on
the number of employees occupying functions in other associated
services.
Marine
Pilotage Authorities
In 2000, the number of employees working for pilotage authorities
increased slightly in all regions. The Atlantic and Laurentian
pilotage authorities accounted for most of the three per cent
increase. The Laurentian and Pacific regions have the most pilotage
employees, with 40 and 30 per cent, respectively. From 1996 to
2000, pilots accounted for 75 per cent of the pilotage authorities'
employment figures.
Table 7-16 shows the number of people employed by Canada's
four pilotage authorities, by category, for the period 1996 to
2000.
Figure 7-3 shows the distribution of employment among the four
Canadian pilotage authorities in 2000.
Maritime Employers Association
In 2000, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association
(BCMEA) showed a 2.2 per cent increase in its employment figures.
Although the largest increase since 1997, it did not outweigh
the staff reductions reported in the last two years. In 2000,
the association showed a 5.2 per cent drop in its employment
levels compared with 1996.
In eastern Canada, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA)
recorded a decrease in employees for the third consecutive year.
The 4.6 per cent decline in the 2000 employment figures, in conjunction
with the drops reported in 1998 and 1999, entirely cancelled out
the 1997 increase in personnel, bringing the number of employees
back to close to 1996 levels.
Table 7-16 shows the employment levels of the maritime employers
associations for the period 1996 to 2000.
Air
Travel Agencies, Tour Operators and Tour Wholesalers
There were 31,805 employees working for travel agencies, tour
operators and tour wholesalers in 2000, a two per cent increase
over 1999. Two thirds of these people were employed in Ontario
and Quebec, with 42 and 25 per cent, respectively. Employees
in western Canada accounted for 28 per cent of the total, nearly
distributed evenly between the Prairies and British Columbia.
Quebec had the highest increase in employment between 1996 and
2000, with nearly 20 per cent.
Table 7-17 shows employment by travel agencies, tour operators
and tour wholesalers, by region, for the period 1996 to 2000.
Figure 7-4 shows the regional distribution of employees working
for travel agencies, tour operators and tour wholesalers in 2000.
NAV Canada
In 2000, there were 5,346 employees working at Nav Canada,
a 1.5 per cent increase over 1999.
This increase was mainly driven by a 13.7 per cent increase
in other personnel (engineers, pilots, technical support personnel,
administrative staff and management) while personnel levels decreased
in all other employment categories. The number of electronic service
specialists decreased by 6.5 per cent in 2000; the number of flight
service specialists decreased from 875 to 825, a 5.8 per cent
decline over last year figures; and the number of air traffic
controllers decreased by less than one per cent.
Figure 7-5 shows the personnel levels at Nav Canada at the
end of 2000.
Other Air-Related Associated Services
The Air Transport Association of Canada, the Canadian Air Traffic
Control Association, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association,
the Canadian Seaplane Pilots Association and the Ultralight Pilots
Association of Canada are among the numerous associations representing
the interests of people in the air industry. The personnel employed
by these air-related organizations could not be captured. There
are also many unions in the air sector with administrative and
other employees for which it was not possible to identify employment
figures.
Workforce
NOTES:
1
A definition of medium and large for-hire trucking firms is found
in Chapter 11, Structure of the Transportation Industry.
2
In 1996, there were 35,490 taxi and limousine drivers according
to census data.
3
In 1996, 68,820 people were working under the industry classification
"Highway and Heavy Construction" according to census
data.
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