A limited wage economy exists in Nunavut today, but there is a difference in the way residents participate. Although 28 per cent of that group is unemployed, it should be recognized that most Inuit do not register with Employment Canada, and will take jobs in their communities when they are available. Average annual income figures for Nunavut are misleading because they do not take into account the hidden benefits from subsistence hunting and the carving industry. Nunavut's new government plans to support the traditional Inuit lifestyle through job sharing and flexible work hours to accommodate subsistence hunting and fishing. It's expected that the Nunavut government will rely on federal transfer payments for at least 90 per cent of its revenue in the territory's initial years.
Government is a mainstay of the wage economy.
Government, minerals and furs have traditionally propelled the economy here, with the public sector today accounting for close to 39 per cent of all employment. The services that government employees will need to do their jobs, and the spinoffs from the wages they will earn, will continue to drive the economy for some time. Many of Nunavut's small businesses and retail outlets have been established to support government needs, or those of public servants. There was such a demand for the luxurious white arctic fox pelts that quality and supply tapered off in the 1930s. Sealing was a major industry in Nunavut until a public outcry against it occurred in the 1970s.