Specialization in Public Services

These three maps explore the specialization in public services by showing the level of services provided relative to the population to be served. Public services include the activities of federal, provincial and municipal governments and also education and health services.

The locating of public services has quite different concerns from that of private-sector (or commercial) services. The underlying theme in the study of the specialization of commercial services is which cities have proven to be the most effective locations for various service activities. The distribution of public services, however, raises quite different perspectives. In addition to asking “What places are the most effective locations for public services?”, one can ask “What places are best served?” and “Are the benefits of government activity widely and fairly dispersed?”

Five measures of government activity are available, representing employment at all three levels of government and employment in health and education. Employment in public administration at the three levels of government - federal, provincial, and municipal - is primarily important in understanding the economic impact of government jobs on local communities. Employment in education and social services is largely funded by the provincial governments; and health-care employment, jointly funded by the federal and provincial government, is allocated by the provinces. These activities provide the most significant social benefits.