Employment & Self-Reliance for First Nation Canadians:Where?

Comments by:Lars OsbergEconomics DepartmentDalhousie UniversityCanadian Economic AssociationJune 6, 2008

CSDs with small populations by relation to an urban centre

First Nation Other First Nation Other

1 Metropolitan 16 153 5% 5%

2 Large urban 10 31 3% 1%

3 Small urban 26 167 8% 6%

4 Strong 7 428 2% 14%

5 Moderate 55 1,113 17% 37%

6 Weak 78 782 24% 26%

7 None 115 298 35% 10%

8 North 21 32 6% 1%

Total 328 3,004 100% 100%

Number of CSDs Share of total

CSD is part of CMA or CA

Influence of CMA or CA

Location & Disadvantage -

Linear Earnings Functions – separability in Education & Location assumed

Decomposition of Earnings Differential - assumes Demand Side

What jobs can university graduates get in isolated rural areas ? NOT just a problem for Aboriginal people

Dominates Atlantic Canada’s development debates

Health care / education / social work ? Driven by population base Public Sector

“Community Economic Development” Limited success in Atlantic Canada

Much less isolated, for most part

Are all rural communities comparable? “Non-First Nation communities far away from

cities generally do have an economic reason for their existence: the proximity of some exploitable natural resource. If their economic base fades, another economic base is found or people move away. First Nation communities were not created on this basis, and moving to other places where jobs are available is a great challenge for their residents.” Waslander (2008:14)

Does Education imply Urbanization ??Does Urbanization increase Assimilation ?? Waslander & Beavon – share community focus Sharpe/Arsenault/Lapointe – individual

characteristics & individual rewards

If education implies urbanization: Implications for “left-behinds” & rural communities ? Aboriginal heritage / identity of migrants ?