Employment among Nova Scotia's consulting engineers has nearly doubled during the past 10 years to an estimated 1,120 people generating revenues in excess of $85 million. In 1997, the industry's impact on Nova Scotia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was estimated at $140 million, about one percent of the provincial total, representing 1,860 direct and indirect jobs.

The consulting engineering industry has twice the impact on the provincial GDP as the insurance services sector and is comparable to primary agriculture.

Consulting engineering is the fastest growing segment of the business services sector. It is also an important contributor to the economy because it pays higher-than- average salaries and wages, employs a highly educated workforce and helps keep technically trained university graduates at home in the province. It also generates export revenue while retaining in Nova Scotia 95 cents of every revenue dollar earned.

"In Nova Scotia, every $100,000 increase in demand for business services impacts the local economy by $329,060."

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