Issue #3 of Leading Economic Change from the Nova Scotia Association of Regional Development Authorities.

1. Population Change
Leading Economic Change Number 3, March 2012
Where Have All The People Gone?
Population counts from the 2011 Census were released major cities, in suburban and rural regions.
in early February. From 2006 to 2011, Canada’s total
population increased by 5.9% while Nova Scotia saw Migration is also complex for communities,
only 0.9% growth. We only out-performed the especially when considering both the in- and out-
Northwest Territories. Even Newfoundland & Labrador flows. Surprisingly, the greatest out-flows are from
left Nova Scotia in the dust, posting growth of 1.8%. economically prosperous cities rather than rural
areas. On the surface we only see the net effect:
Within Nova Scotia, only four counties saw notable more people arriving than leaving.
population gains: Halifax, Antigonish, Hants and
Colchester. Meanwhile, sizeable declines (of 4% to 10%) In Newfoundland, for example, high out-migration
were recorded in Cape Breton, Guysborough County, rates were never the problem. Newfoundland’s
and the South Western region. communities have struggled for decades with too
few people choosing to in-migrate.
The media and general public have focused on aging
and urbanization as the causes of this change, and they It turns out that population mobility actually helps
are partly right. Birth rates have fallen dramatically regions adapt to economic change. In economic
since the baby boom. Meanwhile, cities continue to terms, people leave regions where their skills are
drive the post-industrial economy. People around the not needed or valued. They move in search of the
world are being drawn to urban life in search of right opportunities for themselves and their
economic and socio-cultural density. families. Then new arrivals bring with them new
skills that match local labour market needs.
But not all migrants have the same motivations. While
migration almost always begins with economic These market forces are leading to a new
considerations, it is also a social and emotional decision. economic development reality: less focus on
It is a major biographical event. Some groups, like young attracting jobs and more on attracting & cultivating
families and recent retirees, often choose to live outside skills.
NSARDA is the link between the Nova Scotia RDAs, providing support and collective strength.
Since 1999, the Association has helped the Nova Scotia RDAs in improving the economy of
communities across Nova Scotia. For more information about NSARDA and the Nova Scotia
RDAs please visit www.nsarda.ca.
Leading Economic Change: A Discussion Paper Series from NSARDA

2. How Can Community Economic
Developers Respond?
Population decline is part of the economic “domino learning and transferable skills are increasingly vital.
rally” that Nobel Prize winning economist Gunnar They allow a workforce to adapt, rather than migrate.
Myrdal called “cumulative causation.” His idea was that
complex social problems result from vicious cycles. Job Meanwhile, training for under-employed individuals
losses can cause out-migration, lower consumer (such as Aboriginal, African-Canadian, and Disabled
spending, and declining public revenues & services. In persons) increases their participation in the labour
turn, these cause further job losses. market. It ensures that every individual can fully engage
in meaningful work.
Reversing these factors can slow the spiral.
Traditionally, economic developers focused solely on And engagement is key. More than sheer numbers of
attracting new employers. But population change has people, our regions need every individual to be
created skills shortages, making it difficult to attract productive and innovative. We need to make full use of
jobs. There is now a question of which comes first, jobs our diverse human capital: talents, knowledge, and
or people. Many regions have responded with competencies.
successful campaigns to attract skilled immigrants,
The “war for talent” is also not simply about attracting
return migrants, and newcomers. And some regions
the “best and brightest”. It is about developing and
have also promoted education and training for the
nurturing “the right talents”. It requires deep insight
existing population.
into current and future economic opportunities. A
Myrdal called education, “the major hope for improving population, workforce, or human capital strategy is
the individual and society.” Adult education is an often a good place to start.
extremely effective tool for reversing these downward
We all know that there is no silver bullet for
declines, particularly when offered to displaced and
population change. But there are many ways to build
disadvantaged populations. This was the essence of
human capital. And once we get started, human capital
Coady’s Antigonish Movement, and the foundation of
grows cumulatively from one generation to the next.
Community Economic Development in Nova Scotia.
Training helps displaced workers realign their skills to Ryan MacNeil, EcD, is Principal of Ryan MacNeil & Co., a company
that helps development leaders & organizations become focused
local labour market needs. The new reality is that few
and effective. Reach him at ryan@ryanmacneil.com.
people today will hold one career for life. Life-long
Who is working on it?
Nova Scotia’s Regional Development Authorities (RDAs) have been building human capital
since their creation. In fact, “Skills, Learning and People Development” is considered one of
the core RDA service areas. For example, last year, the Colchester Regional Development
Association sent 345 “Colchester Cares Kits” to students who are away at university,
welcomed 32 new immigrants, and supported 25 training programs with 316 participants.
One of the three pillars in Nova Scotia’s jobsHere strategy is, “Learning the right skills for good jobs.” A
comprehensive Workforce Strategy was released in November 2011. This work is led by the Department of
Labour and Advanced Education in partnership with Economic and Rural Development and Tourism.
The federal government is also encouraging training and education with the current phase of Canada’s Economic
Action Plan. The plan’s focus on jobs and growth includes support for apprentices, older workers, and employers.
Leading Economic Change: A Discussion Paper Series from NSARDA