Knowledge Workers/Industries - Knowledge Workers

Knowledge Workers

The first part of this study determined the number of knowledge workers in Nova Scotia in the three year period 1990-92. A comparison is made with "production" workers to emphasis their relative importance. In the old economy changes in the numbers of production workers was considered a prime indicator of the state of the economy.

DEFINITION

Knowledge Worker Defined

A knowledge worker is one that fits into one of the three following categories:

Professionals, such as doctors, engineers, accountants, and actuaries. The demand for their specialized skills and information has created dramatic growth in professional services.
Engineering, scientific and technical workers. This category is not strictly limited to the level of education attained, but is based on the extremely specialized skills acquired.
The very senior ranks of management. The power-wielders and true decision makers.

Production Worker Defined

A production worker is one who is employed in the Manufacturing Division, and who is not classified as a knowledge worker.

ANALYSIS

N.S. knowledge ratios were applied to a database comprised of over 27,000 firms, representing all segments of the economy. Each record in the database described an operating firm employing workers. Each firm was identified by an SIC code.

An estimate of employment was derived from the employment classification code for each firm . At the SIC level, the sum of these estimates provided a weighting factor for computing a knowledge ratio at the SIC Industrial Division level.

The number of knowledge workers in a SIC Industrial Division was computed as the product of the SIC Industrial Division Knowledge Ratio and Statistics Canada's Estimates of Employment by Industry.

The following reports provide details to knowledge and production workers in Nova Scotia for the period 1990 through 1992.

Nova Scotia Knowledge Workers 1990
by SIC Industrial Division

 DIV       Knowledge        Estimated  SIC Description                          
        Ratio    Workers   Employment                                           

  A      3.43       240         6900   Agriculture and related services
  B     14.07      1280         9100   Fishing and trapping
  C     17.46       440         2500   Logging and forestry
  D     18.92      1100         5800   Mining, quarries and oil wells
  E     19.64      8190        41700   Manufacturing
  F     16.51      3730        22600   Construction 
  G     15.61      2670        17100   Storage and Warehousing
  H     34.70      5070        14600   Communication and other utilities
  I     14.20      2630        18500   Wholesale trade
  J      8.09      4750        58700   Retail trade
  K     31.81      4420        13900   Finance and insurance
  L     25.84      1600         6200   Real estate operators and Insurance
  M     52.06      6870        13200   Business Services 
  N     50.06     16070        32100   Government services
  O     63.58     18500        29100   Educational Services
  P     50.11     18940        37800   Health and social services and Agencies
  Q     17.29      4010        23200   Accommodation, food and beverage services
  R     29.43      7620        25900   Other services


Totals           108130       378900

In 1990, it is estimated that 108,130 knowledge workers were employed in Nova Scotia. This represents about 28.5% of total employment.
About 8.8% of all workers were employed in manufacturing as production workers. Knowledge workers represent about 19.6% of total employment in manufacturing.
Industries with the largest concentrations of knowledge workers are Education (64%), Business (52%), Health (50%), and Government (50%) service industries.

Nova Scotia Knowledge Workers 1991
by SIC Industrial Division

 DIV       Knowledge        Estimated  SIC Description                          
        Ratio    Workers   Employment                                           

  A      3.76       260         7000   Agriculture and related services
  B     14.08      1380         9800   Fishing and trapping
  C     14.71       460         3100   Logging and forestry
  D     17.38       940         5400   Mining, quarries and oil wells
  E     20.24      8360        41300   Manufacturing
  F     16.51      3240        19600   Construction 
  G     15.83      2420        15300   Storage and Warehousing
  H     36.37      4950        13600   Communication and other utilities
  I     14.05      2250        16000   Wholesale trade
  J      8.28      4640        56100   Retail trade
  K     31.66      4050        12800   Finance and insurance
  L     25.76      1370         5300   Real estate operators and Insurance
  M     53.89      7760        14400   Business Services 
  N     50.26     16690        33200   Government services
  O     63.64     17880        28100   Educational Services
  P     49.65     20310        40900   Health and social services and Agencies
  Q     17.27      3820        22100   Accommodation, food and beverage services
  R     28.43      7650        26900   Other services


Totals           108410       370900

In 1991, it is estimated that 108,410 knowledge workers were employed in Nova Scotia. This represents about 29.2% of total employment.
About 8.9% of all workers were employed in manufacturing as production workers. Knowledge workers represent about 20.2% of total employment in manufacturing.
Industries with the largest concentrations of knowledge workers are Education (64%), Business (54%), Health (50%), and Government (50%) service industries.

Nova Scotia Knowledge Workers 1992
by SIC Industrial Division

 DIV       Knowledge        Estimated  SIC Description                          
        Ratio    Workers   Employment                                           

  A      4.71       350         7400   Agriculture and related services
  B     14.06      1250         8900   Fishing and trapping
  C     13.90       500         3600   Logging and forestry
  D     17.41       710         4100   Mining, quarries and oil wells
  E     17.58      7220        41100   Manufacturing
  F     16.51      2970        18000   Construction 
  G     15.92      2550        16000   Storage and Warehousing
  H     35.87      4700        13100   Communication and other utilities
  I     14.23      2210        15500   Wholesale trade
  J      8.37      4470        53400   Retail trade
  K     31.46      3840        12200   Finance and insurance
  L     25.69      2060         8000   Real estate operators and Insurance
  M     57.46      7870        13700   Business Services 
  N     50.26     16490        32800   Government services
  O     63.89     18460        28900   Educational Services
  P     48.94     18990        38800   Health and social services and Agencies
  Q     17.24      3340        19400   Accommodation, food and beverage services
  R     29.46      6970        24500   Other services


Totals           104950       359400

In 1992, it is estimated that 104,950 knowledge workers were employed in Nova Scotia. This represents about 29.2% of total employment.
About 9.4% of all workers were employed in manufacturing as production workers. Knowledge workers represent about 17.6% of total employment in manufacturing.
Industries with the largest concentrations of knowledge workers are Education (64%), Business (57%), Health (49%), and Government (50%) service industries.

About 28% of all employees in Nova Scotia are Knowledge workers. In other words about 1 in 4 were knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers outnumber production workers 3 to 1.

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