Ottawa currently has a strong competitive advantage through its access to one of the world's highest skilled workforce. This is why the people of Ottawa are the secret to its success. Over the past 15 years, the Ottawa region has evolved from a primarly white-collared city to a vibrant, diverse and talent rich community. The population of Ottawa is a prosperous one, with a per capita income that is among the highest in Canada. They are also youthful, entrepreneurial, highly-educated, and multilingual. In fact, cosmopolitan Ottawa prides itself on its ethnic diversity. The city continues to attract the best and brightest from all parts of the globe.

Employment
The Ottawa-Gatineau unemployment rate is currently 5.8 per cent (Statistics Canada, June 2011). There has been a gradual decrease in unemployment over the last three years, which is expected to continue as Ottawa’s total employment continues to increase. The workforce consists of 698,000 people in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Of this total workforce, close to 75,000 professionals are employed in the knowledge based industry. 

Education
The workforce is very educated with 40 per cent of the Ottawa region’s population aged between 25 to 64 years having some form of university education, and nearly 70 per cent of the population having post secondary education. The majority of this population has studied in three major fields: Business, Management and Public Administration (21%), Architecture, Engineering and related technologies (18%), and Social and Behavioural science and Law (15%). It is also important to note that 38,575 residents have post secondary education in the field of Mathematics, Computer and Information sciences and that 23,785 residents have completed studies in the Physical and Life sciences and technologies field (Statistics Canada, 2006 census).

Occupations
Ottawa’s workforce also has a diverse skill set. Of the total experience labor force over 15 years of age, 22.4 per cent have Sales and Services occupations and 21,3 per cent have occupations in Business, Finance and administration. A total of nearly 75,000 worker's occupations relate to the Natural and Applied sciences and over 33,000 residents have occupations related to Health.

Diversity
Our community welcomes businesses and individuals who would contribute to the further diversification of our region. With 22 per cent of the population being foreign-born which represents 178,545 residents, Ottawa creates an environment that promotes innovation and creativity. With large population groups originating from regions such as China, South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, the Ottawa region utilizes this diversity to maintain one of the most talented and highly skilled workforces in the world.