Pitney Bowes Software's Momentum Report Measures Impact of Economic Stress on Canadian Cities
Average Wealth in Canada’s Major Metros Reveals Regional Disparity and Those Areas Hardest Hit by Economic Crisis
- Carol Wallace or Amanda Munroe
- Phone: 203-351-6974 or 617-779-1816
- eMail: PBBI@shiftcomm.com
Toronto, Canada — March 19, 2009
Pitney Bowes Software, the leading global provider of location and communication intelligence solutions, today announced research findings on regional disparities and the likely impact of the economic downturn on large cities. The findings appear in the latest issue of Momentum: Demographic Insights™ , a quarterly research report focusing on Canadian demographic trends and forecasts important to business leaders. Utilizing its Canada Wealth dataset, which provides valuable information on Canadians' financial characteristics at the neighbourhood level, Pitney Bowes Software reveals unique research on average household wealth in the major Canadian metros. Highlights of the research include:
Who's the Least Wealthy? - Pitney Bowes Software's research also ranks Halifax, London, Montreal, St. Catharine's - Niagara and Quebec among the least wealthy of Canada's largest cities. In fact, the wealth in these cities is nearly 50 percent less than the top five cities. Average household wealth for these cities include:
| Rank | City | Avg. Wealth |
| 1 | Halifax | $251,520 |
| 2 | London | $250,217 |
| 3 | Montreal | $245,722 |
| 4 | St. Catharine's - Niagara | $243,629 |
| 5 | Quebec | $169,202 |
Who's the Hardest Hit? - To identify the Canadian metros feeling the greatest impact from the economic crisis, Pitney Bowes Software applied the percent change in the Bank of Canada's S&P/TSX Composite Index between December 2007 and December 2008 (a decrease of 35 percent) to the average household values of equity holdings. The top five metros with the greatest loss in average household equity holdings include:
| Rank | City | Avg. Loss |
| 1 | Calgary | $29,607 |
| 2 | Toronto | $21,396 |
| 3 | Edmonton | $21,127 |
| 4 | Ottawa-Gatineau | $19,889 |
| 5 | Oshawa | $18,706 |
Where is the Wealth? - To identify Canada's wealthiest large cities, Pitney Bowes Software ranked the major metros-those with at least 100,000 households-by average household wealth or net worth, calculated by subtracting total liabilities from total assets. The top five list includes:
| Rank | City | Avg. Net Worth |
| 1 | Vancouver | $592,851 |
| 2 | Toronto | $562,173 |
| 3 | Calgary | $560,332 |
| 4 | Victoria | $544,542 |
| 5 | Oshawa | $404,409 |
"While no one remains untouched by today's turbulent economic conditions, companies across all industries need to be aware of the degree that their target customers and markets are being affected," said Thomas G. Exter, chief demographer, Pitney Bowes Software. "By providing valuable insight into Canadian financial characteristics and trends, Pitney Bowes Software enables companies to gain a better understanding of their customers' current financial status, as well as make predictions of the likely impact these tough economic times will have, enabling them to make more strategic decisions on how to attract and retain these customers."
For more information on Momentum: Demographic Insights and to access the full report, please visit www.mapinfo.ca/momentum.
About Pitney Bowes Business Insight
Pitney Bowes Business Insight, a division of Pitney Bowes Software Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes Inc., helps organizations to acquire, serve and grow customer relationships. Our leading-edge solutions in the areas of Customer Intelligence, Customer Communications and Customer Care enhance our customers’ operational systems and workflows, enabling them to manage their customer relationships more effectively. We offer unique and compelling capabilities, including location intelligence; GIS; predictive analytics; data quality, management and integration; and customer communications management. In combination, our solutions and capabilities deliver customer insights that create competitive advantages. Leading companies, government agencies and systems integrators rely on our global expertise and decades of leadership to improve their operational effectiveness and business results. Visit www.pbinsight.com and www.pb.com for more information.
Of Note
This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties. Any statement not a statement of historical fact is a forward-looking statement, including without limitation statements concerning demand for and benefits of Pitney Bowes products and integration of its products with existing solutions. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those factors contained in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors." Pitney Bowes takes no responsibility to update any forward-looking statements.
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