5 Highlights from Toronto Vital Signs Report

As a Toronto call centre, we look forward to the release of the Toronto Vital Signs Report each year as it “identifies progress we should be proud of and challenges that need to be addressed” in our great city. I have previously covered the 2011 and the 2012 editions of this informative report released by the Toronto Community Foundation, an organization that “connects philanthropy with community needs and opportunities in order to make Toronto the best place to live, work, learn and grow.”

The report is “a consolidated snapshot of the trends and issues affecting the quality of life in our city and each of the interconnected issue areas is critical to the well-being of Toronto and its residents.”

“Toronto is getting some of the big things right”

With data drawn from a number of sources, the report focuses on key areas including overall demographic, health and wellness, public safety, economic health, work, gap between rich and poor, housing, environment, transportation, community, education, arts and culture and much more. The following are 5 of the highlights from the 2013 Toronto Vital Signs Report:

Click image to go to report

1. Health and Wellness – The percentage of Torontonians (12 and over) who are reporting they are in good health is 59.2%. What is alarming about this number is that it is down 3.3 % from 62.5% in 2009-10. What is also worrying is that the percentage of people (18 and over) who are overweight or obese has risen from 42.8% in 2009-2010 to 44.8% in 2011-2012. This could be one of the reasons for the drop in overall health. Interestingly, the percentage of people who are satisfied or very satisfied with their life has gone up from 89.7% in 2009-2010 to 90.1% in 2011-12.
2. Safety – Toronto’s crime rate is showing a downward trend. In 2012 the crime rate dropped 7% compared to 2011 – its lowest since 1972. In fact, the crime rate in “the Toronto Region is the lowest among Canada’s 33 metropolitan areas.”
3. Economic Health – Toronto’s GDP (millions of constant 2007 dollars) was $157, 116 which is up $2,897 from $154, 219 in 2011. Also the number of businesses that went bankrupt dropped by 140 to 488 in 2012. This shows that businesses are able to manage and perhaps thrive as the economy moves forward. Let’s not forget that “Toronto has sustained modest growth over the three years since the 2008-2009 recession.”
4. Work – Toronto’s percentage employment growth (over the year prior) for 2012 was 1.1%. The annual average unemployment rate did grow by 0.4% to 9.6% in 2012. What is troubling is that the youth employment rate (annual average) rose 3.55% to 20.75%. Contrary to this both annual average income after taxes and the hourly wage both went up in 2012. This shows that Torontonian’s who are working are able to earn a decent income; the issue seems to be getting employment.
5. Environment – Toronto seems to be doing well when it comes to the environment. Green space as a percentage of land has held steady for the third year in a row at 12.7%. The number of LEED certified buildings jumped from 59 in 2011 to 123 in 2012. 94% of households with a blue bin use it, and 87% of green bins are in use, but half of Torontonians live in multi-residential buildings without recycling capacity, and the diversion rate there is only 24%.

Did you know:

• In 2012, Toronto (population 2,791,140) edged past Chicago to become the 4th largest city in North America after Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles.
• Almost 1 in 5 Canadians – 18.1% of the total population- live in the Greater Toronto Area (population 6,054,191).
• In 2011, almost 3 in 10 (27%) Torontonians were second generation (Canadian-born with at least one parent born outside the country).

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Miratel Solutions is a Canada call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values and advancing the missions of the non-profits we proudly serve.