To learn about IBISWorld's coverage in US states and counties, visit the US State Industry Report Sources and Methodology article.
Why can’t I find a specific industry for my province?
Industries with a very low density of businesses are left out of government-conducted industry surveys. Since we use these government surveys as the baseline data inputs, we can’t include certain industries.
If you can’t find a specific industry for a province, we suggest using a discreet company analysis to gain a better understanding of an industry in a given location. We recommend doing this rather than an industry analysis because industry analysis trends may be indicative of company decisions, rather than industry performance. We also suggest using comparable locations by geographic location, demographics or other industry characteristics as a benchmark for missing industries.
Why do some CMAs not have data?
Some CMAs don’t have data if they have very few reported businesses in an industry or no businesses at all. We use government surveys as a baseline for CMA data, and government surveys typically don’t report on data in these CMAs to protect the confidentiality of the few businesses that operate in them.
We suggest using comparable CMAs, either by geographic closeness, demographics and/or other local characteristics as a benchmark for missing CMA data.
Where does the provincial- and CMA-level industry data come from?
We source provincial- and CMA-level industry data primarily from Statistics Canada, Canada’s national statistics agency. This data is derived from specific reporting tables generated from Statistic Canada’s survey. We combine this data with our proprietary industry data to produce a hierarchically reconciled set of statistics.
How many Provincial industries are covered by IBISWorld?
There are over 300+ reports for each Canadian province. We also cover all three territories with over 200 reports per territory.
The specific industries covered depend on the economic makeup of the locality and whether an industry is heavily represented in that province.
How frequently are Provincial Industry Reports updated?
We update the provincial industry data for all industries at the same time at least two times per year.
You may see discrepancies between provincial and national industry data because we update industries’ national data 1-4 times per year independently, depending on the industry’s volatility. The different update schedules mean the Province data updates can lag behind the national data. Any discrepancies will be accounted for during the next provincial data update.
We encourage you to focus on the general trend and breakdown of provincial data, which is not affected by the occasional nuances in data caused by our current update schedules.
Why has historical data changed between updates?
Historical provincial industry data occasionally changes between updates due to the inclusion of new source data and refinements to our modelling process. In cases where source data is incomplete or contains historical gaps, we use statistical models to estimate missing values. These models draw on ratios, trend behavior, and other structural relationships within the data.
When new source data becomes available in later updates, the model is re-run using this larger and more current information set. As a result, historical estimates may shift because the model re-estimates missing values using the expanded dataset. In addition, ongoing improvements to our modelling framework can also lead to revisions in historical figures. These changes help ensure that provincial data remains as accurate and robust as possible over time.
What is the methodology behind “Factors Impacting a Province’s Economy” within the Provincial Economic Profile?
Our analysts use various sources to provide value-added analysis on 4 core economic factors and 2 provincial-dependent factors. The standard factors include housing affordability, domestic migration, business climate tax index and fiscal stability. The provincial-dependent factors may vary, but common examples include sector reliance, new business formation, new job growth, educational attainment, labor productivity and disaster susceptibility.
Analysts choose positive and negative indicators based on a given factor’s performance. The scoring bucket is determined by the metric’s level relative to that metric across all provinces. The exact method is dependent on the type of factor and the distribution of the data.
What data sources are used for the Provincial Economic Profiles?
We compile the Provincial Economic Profiles using a variety of sources, but our main source of information is Statistics Canada.
For additional questions regarding Canada Provincial Reports, please contact your Client Relationship Manager. If you don’t have an IBISWorld account, please contact us to learn more about our membership options.