City of Toronto
With a population of 2.6 million people, Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America. Of the labour force of 1.3 million people, 800,000 have a post secondary education. Toronto residents represent more than 100 different ethnic groups and speak almost as many languages, making the city a unique and vibrant cultural mosaic.
As the country’s corporate and financial capital, Toronto is home to more top-ranked national and international companies than any other Canadian city. Eight Toronto-based corporations are part of Fortune’s Global 500 list and several others fall into the Fortune 1,000.
In addition to being the region’s contact centre and shared-uses hub, Toronto is strong in other clusters, including biomedical/pharmaceutical, information and communications technologies, food and beverage, fashion, industrial and graphic design, and tourism. Toronto’s policy of waiving development charges for industrial and commercial projects makes it a very cost competitive location to establish a business.
The city has also earned an international reputation for its unrivalled quality of life, offering an impressive array of cultural, entertainment and recreational attractions in a safe, clean and welcoming cosmopolitan environment.
| Quick Facts | |||
| 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | |
| Population | 2,385,421 | 2,481,494 | 2,503,581 |
| Population | 4.8% | 4% | .09% |
| Labour Force | 1,262,400 | 1,399,963 | 1,344,830 |
| Avg. Household Income | $53,869 | $69,125 | $80,343 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.3% | 7.3% | 7.6% |
| Construction Value of Building Permits | $1,654,245,000 | $1,597,995,000 | |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006
| Population by Education | |
| Total Population Age 20+ | 1,413,815 |
| Highschool certificate or equivelent | 298,670 |
| College or University certificate or diploma below bachelor | 323,840 |
| Bachelor's Degree | 319,065 |
| Advanced Degree | 120,720 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006.
| Top ten ethnic origins | Total responses |
| Total population by ethnic origin - 20% sample data | 2,476,565 |
| English | 341,545 |
| Chinese | 308,715 |
| Canadian | 267,625 |
| Scottish | 244,765 |
| Irish | 237,580 |
| East Indian | 188,120 |
| Italian | 180,660 |
| German | 112,235 |
| French | 108,645 |
| Filipino | 107,355 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006.
| Experienced labour force | |
| Total - 15 years and older | 1,311,695 |
| Agriculture and other resource-based industries | 10,530 |
| Manufacturing and construction industries | 216,930 |
| Wholesale and retail trade | 191,945 |
| Finance and real estate | 132,580 |
| Health, education and social services | 205,300 |
| Business services | 330,280 |
| Other services | 224,125 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006.
| Largest Private Sector Employers | |
| Number of Employees | |
| Royal Bank of Canada | 10,000+ |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | 10,000+ |
| TD Bank | 10,000+ |
| Scotiabank | 10,000+ |
| BMO Nesbitt Burns | 10,000+ |
| Metro | 5,000 - 9,999 |
| Rogers Communications | 5,000 - 9,999 |
| Manufacturers Life Insurance Company | 5,000 - 9,999 |
| Shoppers Drugmart | 5,000 - 9,999 |
| Bombardier | 2,500-4,999 |
Source: Toronto Business Directory
| New Investments | ||
| Company | Sector | Sq. Ft. |
| Allmart Distributing | Distribution | 10,200 |
| CitiFinancial | Call Centre/Financial | 25,000 |
| Crystal Decisions | IT | 10,000 |
| EquiServe Inc. | Financial Services/Call Centre | 7,500 |
| Interactive Proteomics | Biotech | 40,000 |
| NRT Technologies | Manufacturing | 35,000 |
| OAO Technology Solutions | IT | 68,400 |
| Royal Thai Consulate General | Service/Government | 5,000 |
| Siebel Systems, Inc. | IT | 135,000 |
| Veritas Software Corporation | IT | 63,100 |
