DataNB
The latest from the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training

From May to August 2020, NB-IRDT hosted the very first Pathways to Professions: an experiential learning program that provided six UNB students with hands-on workplace experience and training in research methods and job readiness. Each month, our Student Spotlight series will highlight some of the students’ research findings on the population demographics and economic progress of New Brunswick.

The economic recession of 2008 severely impacted GDP growth in New Brunswick – not only at the time, but also for the years that followed. If the province’s GDP growth rates were on par with the Canadian average, NB would see higher tax revenue, more funding for public services, and greater interest from prospective businesses. So, how does our GDP growth measure up?

This summer, Pathways to Professions student Thomas Campbell examined real GDP growth in NB. As part of the BoostNB initiative to measure the province’s progress toward economic goals, he looked at whether NB’s GDP growth rate is on track to reach 2008 levels, based on current trends.

Read Thomas’s full report to view the status of this economic goal and visit boostnb.com for access to more student-led reports on the NB economy.

Read the full report

Meet the researcher

Thomas Campbell is a software engineering student at UNB, minoring in electrical engineering. Since he grew up in New Brunswick, the research he conducted on the state of the province’s economy really hit home for him. Thomas is keen on honing his technical skills to better the world around him, and he credits Pathways to Professions with allowing him to gain a thorough understanding of what exactly research entails, how research questions should be investigated, how to conduct data analysis, and how to effectively present research findings.

Interested in becoming involved with Pathways to Professions? Email nb-irdttraining@unb.ca to learn how.