OTTAWA Integrated Local

Labour Market Plan

ICT Sector Overview

Updated March 2013

2013 Update

The views expressed in this document do not

necessarily reflect those of Employment Ontario.

Ottawa Integrated Local Labour Market Plan - 2013 Update ICT SECTOR 1

Information, Communication and Technology

2013 OTTAWA OUTLOOK/UPDATE

Table K1 shows growth rates in ICT industries from 2008 to 2012. The data is drawn from EMSI and

compares Ottawa to the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. The recession hit the Ottawa area harder

than the GTA and the province as a whole as total jobs in ICT dropped by 18% from 2008 to 2012, with

most of the decline occurring immediately following the economic collapse in 2008-09. Ottawa’s higher

average earnings, coupled with its higher contraction rates, indicate that cuts targeting high-paid, high-

skilled positions could explain why the local industry suffered so much. This is somewhat borne out by

the Top Ten Jobs table where we can compare local growth rates by occupation to provincial ones, as

the area where the second largest difference in growth rates between Ottawa and Ontario occurred in

the Computer and information system managers category.

While user support technicians saw job growth from 2010 to 2011, the decline in 2012 led to an overall

drop in jobs to 71% of 2010 levels. These are some of the core industry jobs and declines reflect the

overall poor health of the local industry post-2008. Wages remain high; however, job growth rates are

faring significantly poorer than provincial averages. The exception is the Librarian occupation class,

which saw almost a doubling in total jobs from 2010-2012. As this table represents only those employed

in ICT industries, this could represent a shift of librarians from other industries to positions within ICT.

Growth in this occupation is so much higher than the provincial average as to make it likely an outlier,

due to changes in position or industry classification or a shift of jobs from one industry to another,

rather than a true growth in the number of available positions.

Table K1: Growth in Information, Communication and Technology, Regional Comparison

2008-2012

Region 2008 Jobs 2012 Jobs Change % Change 2012 Average

Earnings

● Ottawa 35,043 28,899 -6,144 -18% $81,446

● GTA 89,267 83,540 -5,727 -6% $70,892

● Ontario 202,692 193,391 -9,301 -5% $69,908

Source: EMSI, 2013.1 BETA.

Ottawa Integrated Local Labour Market Plan - 2013 Update ICT SECTOR 2

Table K2: Top Ten Jobs, Information, Communication and Technology, Ottawa vs. Ontario

2010-2012

Occupation

Jobs (2010)

Jobs (2011)

Jobs (2012)

Change Ottawa %

Change 2010-12

Ontario % Change 2010-12

Difference in % (Ottawa

vs. Ontario)

C073 Software engineers and

designers 2,671 2,716 3,592 921 34% 20% 14

C074

Computer programmers

and interactive media

developers

4,031 3,713 3,490 (541) (13%) 1% (14)

C071 Information systems

analysts and consultants 2,915 2,837 2,790 (125) (4%) 11% (15)

G121 Technical sales specialists,

wholesale trade 2,334 2,679 2,453 119 5% 18% (13)

C182 User support technicians 1,990 2,030 1,410 (580) (29%) (10%) (19)

A122 Computer and information

systems managers 1,370 900 1,039 (331) (24%) 4% (28)

C047

Computer engineers

(except software

engineers)

1,203 1,318 1,018 (185) (15%) (1%) (14)

A131 Sales, marketing and

advertising managers 416 559 650 234 56% (18%) 74

F011 Librarians 310 554 615 305 98% 17% 81

H216

Telecommunications

installation and repair

workers

642 601 611 (31) (5%) 33% (38)

Source: EMSI, 2013.1 BETA.

Chart K1: Top Ten Jobs, Information, Communication and Technology, Ottawa 2010-2012

Source: EMSI, 2013.1 BETA.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

2010 2011 2012

Software engineers anddesignersComputer programmers andinteractive media developersInformation systems analystsand consultantsTechnical sales specialists,wholesale tradeUser support technicians

Computer and informationsystems managersComputer engineers (exceptsoftware engineers)Sales, marketing and advertisingmanagersLibrarians

Telecommunications installationand repair workers

Ottawa Integrated Local Labour Market Plan - 2013 Update ICT SECTOR 3

Table K3: Growth rates by occupation, Information, Communication and Technology,

Ottawa vs. Ontario 2010-2012

Source: EMSI, 2013.1 BETA.

2013 NEWS WITH A LOCAL IMPACT

Shopify expanding

Offering e-commerce solutions to help businesses market products online, Shopify is expanding rapidly.

The company moved into the Byward Market in 2011 and has since grown from 60 employees to 145,

with plans to add 100 more staff over the coming year. The Market is becoming home to more and

more tech startups as businesses seek to mimic Shopify’s success and corporate culture. The constant

expansion has made the company one of the area’s largest tenants.1

1 Ottawa Business Journal (2013) Shopify expands to accommodate 100 new hires accessed February 18, 2012.

http://www.obj.ca/Technology/2013-02-01/article-3168116/Shopify-expands-to-accommodate-100-new-hires/1

98%

56%

34%

5%

-4% -5% -13% -15%

-24% -29%

17%

-18%

20% 18% 11%

33%

1%

-1%

4%

-10% -40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Ottawa % Change 2010-12 Ontario % Change 2010-12