2.0 Economic Characteristics
Family composition
Based on available Census data, married couples have continued to constitute the most common form of family structure in Brant County.
A slightly smaller proportion of married couples in Brant County (60%) had children at home when compared to Ontario as a whole (62%) in 1996. Amongst common-law couples, the percentage with children at home was somewhat lower (Brant County 49% and Ontario 43%) than for married couples. In 1996, lone parent families comprised 15% of Brant County families and 14% of Ontario families. Thirteen percent of all families in Brant County were lone parent families headed by females (12% in Ontario). The proportion of lone-parent families headed by females in Brant County (85%) was similar to that for Ontario (84%).
Education Levels
The 1996 census indicates that, on average, the residents of Brant County had lower education levels than the provincial average. Nearly 40% of Brant County residents had not completed a Grade 13 diploma, compared to 33% in the province as a whole. Approximately 11% of Brant County residents had completed a university degree, compared to over 19% of the residents of Ontario (Fig. 1.13).
Employment and Unemployment
In 1996 the labour force participation rate was similar in Brant County and Ontario as a whole (66%), while the unemployment rate was slightly higher in Ontario (9%) than in Brant County (8%). When 15-24 year olds were excluded from these calculations, the unemployment rate dropped to 8% in Ontario and to 6% in Brant County. Among the 15-24 year olds, the unemployment rate was approximately 18% in Brant County and Ontario.
In comparing employment status between Brant County and Ontario, greatest differences were observed between males aged 15-24 (Table 2.1). In Brant County, an additional 4% of males aged 15-24 participated in the labour force. The employment rate was also slightly higher (3%) among Brant County males in this age group than their Ontario counterparts.
In comparing males and females, the overall unemployment rate for those aged 15 and older, was higher for females - in Brant County as in Ontario. Of those aged 15+ in Brant County, 27% of males and 41% of females did not participate in the labour force. A similar difference was observed for Ontario (Table 1.3). In Brant County, four percent more males in the 15-24 age group were employed in 1996 than females in the same age group. The unemployment rate for males in this age group was 4% lower than their female counterparts. The differences between males and females were even greater when looking at those aged 25 and older. Nearly 16% more males, than females, over the age of 24 participated in the labour force in Brant County.
In 1996, in Brant County, twice as many females versus males were classified as ‘unpaid family workers’. Almost half of males and more than a third of females reported traveling to a different census subdivision to work. More than twice as many males versus females reported ‘no usual place of work’. Similar patterns were observed for Ontario. When comparing Brant County to Ontario, eight percent more Ontario males and 14% more Ontario females reported their usual place of work in a different census subdivision as compared to Brant residents. Slightly more Ontario males (8%) reported working at home as compared to their Brant counterparts (7%).
Table 2.1: Employment Status of Brant County Residents, aged 15 and older, in the Labour Force (Statistics Canada, 1996)
| EMPLOYMENT | BRANT COUNTY | ONTARIO | ||
|
Males |
Females |
Males |
Females | |
|
Population Aged 15+ by labour force activity |
42,305 |
45,505 |
4,080,940 |
4,348,275 |
|
In labour force |
|
|
|
|
|
Not in labour force |
11465 27.1% |
18725 41.1% |
27.0% |
40.0% |
|
Population Aged 15-24 by labour force activity |
7,395 |
7,325 |
710,190 |
689,330 |
|
In labour force |
|
|
|
|
|
Not in labour force |
2360 31.9% |
2810 38.4% |
36.1% |
37.5% |
|
Population Aged 25+ by labour force activity |
34,915 |
38,175 |
3,370,745 |
3,658,940 |
|
In labour force |
|
|
|
|
|
Not in labour force |
9110 26.1% |
15910 41.7% |
25.1% |
40.5% |
Household Income
In 1996, the average private household income in Brant County was just over $48,000 – approximately $6,000 less than the Ontario average (Table 2.2). Almost 22% of the households in this county had an annual household income below $20,000 with 5% having an income below $10,000. In Ontario, on average, 6% more households had an annual income of ‘$80,000 and over’ as compared to Brant County. In 1996, the incidence of low-income households in Brant County was reported as 13% compared to 15% in Ontario.
Table 2.2: Household Income - All Private Households (Statistics Canada, 1996).
| Income Level | Brant County % | Ontario % |
| $10,000 | 5.3 | 6.4 |
| 10,000-19,999 | 16.5 | 14.1 |
| 20,000-29,999 | 14.0 | 12.1 |
| 30,000-39,999 | 12.4 | 11.6 |
| 40,000-49,999 | 11.7 | 10.9 |
| 50,000-59,999 | 10.4 | 9.8 |
| 60,000-69,999 | 8.8 | 8.5 |
| 70,000-79,999 | 6.9 | 6.8 |
| 80,000-89,999 | 4.7 | 5.2 |
| 90,000-99,999 | 2.6 | 3.8 |
| 100,000 and over | 6.6 | 10.8 |
| Average Income | 48,086 | 54,291 |
| Median Income | 41,367 | 45,155 |
The average annual income for males aged 15 and older, in 1996, was approximately $31,000 compared to approximately $19,000 for females aged 15 and older (Table 2.3). A similar difference was observed in Ontario, with males having on average an annual income one and a half times higher than females. A greater proportion of Ontario males earned $50,000 and over (21%) compared to Brant County males (16%).
In Brant County, in 1996, 38% of males earned an annual income of less than $20,000 as compared to 64% of females. While a similar proportion of Brant County males (38%) were in the less than $20,000 income bracket as their Ontario counterparts, a difference was observed for the females. Sixty four percent of Brant County females were in this income bracket as compared to 58% of their Ontario counterparts. Proportionately twice as many Brant County males as females were in the $30,000-$49,999 income bracket (29% and 14%, respectively) with a similar pattern apparent in Ontario. Only 5% of Brant County females earned an annual income of $50,000 or more compared to 16% of their male counterparts (Table 1.7). Proportionately, almost 5% more Ontario males and 3% more Ontario females were in the $50,000 and over income bracket than their Brant County counterparts.
Table 2.3 Income of Individuals Aged 15 and older (Statistics Canada, 1996).
| Income Level |
Brant County % |
Ontario % | ||
|
MALES |
FEMALES |
MALES |
FEMALES | |
|
Under 1,000 |
4.3 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.8 |
|
1,000-2,999 |
3.7 |
6.6 |
3.9 |
5.8 |
|
3,000-4,999 |
2.9 |
4.8 |
3.2 |
5.2 |
|
5,000-6,999 |
3.0 |
6.2 |
3.6 |
5.8 |
|
7,000-9,999 |
4.9 |
8.4 |
5.2 |
8.4 |
|
10,000-14,999 |
9.7 |
19.6 |
9.3 |
16.0 |
|
15,000-19,999 |
9.1 |
13.6 |
8.0 |
11.2 |
|
20,000-24,999 |
8.8 |
9.6 |
7.8 |
9. |
|
25,000-29,999 |
8.5 |
7.9 |
7.5 |
8.0 |
|
30,000-39,999 |
16.6 |
9.5 |
14.5 |
11.8 |
|
40,000-49,999 |
12.7 |
4.3 |
11.2 |
6.0 |
|
50,000 and over |
16.0 |
4.6 |
20.8 |
7.1 |
|
Average Income |
30,605 |
18,708 |
33,599 |
21,048 |
|
Median |
26,964 |
14,787 |
27,379 |
16,004 |
Table 2.4 indicates that the incidence of low income among unattached individuals and families is slightly lower in Brant County than in Ontario. However, the average family income in Brant County is consistently lower than the average family income in Ontario. This holds true for unattached individuals; two-parent, lone-parent and other types of families.
Table 2.4: Comparison of Income Data for Brant County and Ontario, 1996.
| Brant County | Ontario | |
| Incidence of Low Income Unattached Individuals | 36.4% | 37.9% |
| Average Census Family Income | $53,893 | $59,830 |
| Average Husband-Wife Family Income | $58,357 | $64,434 |
| Average Lone-male Parent Family Income | $35,506 | $44,318 |
| Average Lone-female Parent Family Income | $28,165 | $30,182 |
| Incidence of Low Income Families | 12.5% | 14.8% |