Francophone communities located outside the metropolitan region disproportionately depend on the primary sector, in comparison to the provincial average. In addition, Francophone presence in the primary sector is limited almost exclusively to agricultural operations. With regard to the tertiary sector, social and health services are going through great expansion in bilingual communities where the population is increasingly an aging one. Educational services are also significant. It is essentially made up of businesses that cater to people living in these communities.
Little income is generated from sales to clients from outside respective communities.
The relationship between languages and the economy existed in French Manitoba well before the adoption of the federal Official Languages Act and its related promotional programs. Chambers of commerce and business associations have been active to varying degrees, depending on the people involved and the decade in question. Despite the efforts of all these groups, the need to increase economic development was still considered a priority at the end of the 1980s. While the Bureau has set up several exchange visits and identified possible Quebec firms interested in setting up shop in Manitoba, results were rather meagre. That is a question that may clarify one aspect of the relationship between languages and the economy.