People

Opportunities:
REDI Regional Profile
(5,522 KB)
Tourism Snapshot
(880 KB)
Value Added Snapshot
(944 KB)
Energy Sector Snapshot
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Renowned for our strong entrepreneurial spirit and drive, the people of our region see new opportunities at every corner.

Demographics

The average age is under 24 years. With a population of more than 20,000, nearly half are in the productive 20-54 age range.

Growth

Our growth continues to exceed the national average. This is also one of the fastest growing regions in the province. High Level and Rainbow Lake have achieved growth rates of more than 20 percent!

Labour force and employment

Our labour force includes more 6,500 people (2001). Our unemployment rate of 5 percent is well below the Canadian rate of 7.2 per cent. Alberta currently has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada at 4.5 percent.

REDI Region Population

Community	2004 Population
First Nations	5,589
High Level	4,199
Paddle Prairie	581
Rainbow Lake	1,186
Mackenzie County *	6,604
Fort Vermilion	871
La Crete	2,039
Zama	173
Total Population	21,242

* The Mackenzie County official population is 9,687, including the hamelts of Fort Vermilion, La Crete and Zama

REDI Labour Force Statistics

	2001	1996
Labour Force	6,529	5,765
Employed	6,176	5,396
Unemployed	353	368
Total Pop. 15 yrs. +	8,787	7,760
Participation %	74%	74%
Unemployment %	5%	6%

Household Incomes

A key indication of the region’s outstanding economic opportunities is that the region’s average household income is above the provincial average. Data from the 2003 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey indicates that wage rates for certain occupations in the northwest portion of the province are between seven and 14 per cent higher than provincial averages.

Hiring Foreign Workers

The Alberta Government has put a new focus on helping employers hire workers from other countries. Various resources such as seminars, general information, information hotlines, and others are available at:

http://www.alberta-canada.com/immigration/employers/index.html