Tracking Progress on SDG 8

The document evaluates the performance of Canadian cities against SDG 8, focusing on GDP per capita, labour productivity, median income, unemployment, and youth unemployment. While GDP and median incomes have generally risen, the report highlights persistent gender pay gaps and regional disparities in unemployment, particularly in Prairie cities.

• GDP per capita has increased steadily across all Canadian cities since 2005. Labour productivity, measured as GDP per employed person, rose by 26.5 per cent nationally between 2005 and 2013, with Saskatoon and Edmonton seeing increases of more than 50 per cent.
• Median annual incomes increased in all Canadian cities between 1992 and 2015, with the highest growth rates in Quebec City (65 per cent) and Edmonton (54 per cent). However, a significant gender pay gap remains; in 2015, the median income for women was only 68 per cent of that for men. The largest gaps were found in Calgary (61 per cent) and Edmonton (63 per cent).
• Unemployment trends vary by region between 2002 and 2016. While rates decreased in British Columbia cities—specifically Vancouver (7.9 per cent to 5.4 per cent) and Victoria (7 per cent to 5.2 per cent)—they increased in Prairie cities including Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg. Calgary had the highest documented unemployment rate in 2016 at 9.4 per cent.
• Youth unemployment in Canada peaked at 15.4 per cent in 2009. Although rates have declined since then, only five cities—Halifax, Quebec City, Regina, Saskatoon, and Victoria—have reduced youth unemployment relative to 2001 levels. As of 2015, Ottawa and Toronto had the highest youth unemployment rates at 15.4 and 15.3 per cent, respectively.

APA

Temmer, J., & Wiebe, K. (2018). Tracking Progress on SDG 8. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tracking-sdgs-canadian-cities-sdg-8.pdf

Chicago

Temmer, Jennifer, and Kyle Wiebe. Tracking Progress on SDG 8. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2018. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tracking-sdgs-canadian-cities-sdg-8.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Temmer |first1=Jennifer |last2=Wiebe |first2=Kyle |title=Tracking Progress on SDG 8 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2018 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tracking-sdgs-canadian-cities-sdg-8.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{temmer2018tracking, author = {Temmer, Jennifer and Wiebe, Kyle}, title = {{Tracking Progress on SDG 8}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2018}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tracking-sdgs-canadian-cities-sdg-8.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }