"Overall, the Canadian labour force is changing. The share of the population age 15 and over will be decreasing in all provinces, but it's going to decrease more rapidly even in the Atlantic provinces," stated André Lebel, a senior analyst with Statistics Canada.

New Brunswick’s labour force participation rate last year was already below the national average at 64 percent and it is expected to fall to 54 to 58 percent by 2031. Similarly, the ratio of workers to those retired in 2031 is expected to be three to one in Canada. In New Brunswick, it’s expected to be two to one.

The difference in labour force participation rates is due in part to New Brunswick's older population. In 2006, 14.7 of the province’s population were seniors, one percentage point higher than in the rest of Canada. New Brunswick’s fertility rate, 1.59 children per woman, is also lower than the national average.

By 2031, nearly half of Canada’s population could be over the age of 65. Statistics Canada expects that one in three workers in Canada in 2031 will be foreign born.

The provincial governments, including New Brunswick, have put in place numerous measures and programs to address the future labour growth challenge. The provincial governments are investing more in community colleges and publicly funded universities to attract students to their provinces, focusing on employment development programs, and increasing the population through immigration and settlement activities.

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