Our Island Workforce

Over the past decade, the skill demands of our economy have risen. At the same time, our population is aging, our birthrate is declining, and many of our educated youth are leaving. These trends are interacting with rising skill demands to create a dramatic and pivotal shift in the labor market. In the past, the key issue was job shortages. Today and for the future, the key issue – for Prince Edward Island and for every other developed jurisdiction – is shortages of skills and labour.

In this increasingly tight and competitive labour market, a fundamentally different approach is needed – one which puts quality of employment, rather than quantity of employment, at the core of economic development strategies. To achieve this aim, we must take action to grow our population – and we must invest in learning at all levels to give all Islanders the skills they need to benefit from the new and better opportunities ahead.