▁of ▁employ er ▁business es , ▁medium - s ized ▁business es ▁make ▁up ▁ 1 . 6 ▁percent ▁of ▁employ er ▁business es ▁and ▁large ▁business es ▁make ▁up ▁ 0 . 1 ▁percent ▁of ▁employ er ▁business es . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁over ▁ 7 . 7 ▁million ▁employees , ▁or ▁ 6 9 . 7 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁private ▁labour ▁force , ▁worked ▁for ▁small ▁business es ▁and ▁ 2 . 2 ▁million ▁employees , ▁or ▁ 2 0 . 2 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁labour ▁force , ▁worked ▁for ▁medium - s ized ▁business es . ▁In ▁total , ▁S ME s ▁employed ▁about ▁ 1 0 ▁million ▁individuals , ▁or ▁ 8 9 . 9 ▁percent ▁of ▁employees . ▁Canadian ▁high - g row th ▁fir ms ▁are ▁present ▁in ▁every ▁economic ▁sector ▁and ▁are ▁not ▁just ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁knowledge - based ▁indust ries . ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁employ ment , ▁the ▁highest ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁high - g row th ▁fir ms ▁in ▁Canada ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 – 2 0 0 9 ▁period ▁were ▁in ▁construction ▁( 4 . 9 ▁percent ▁of ▁all ▁fir ms ); ▁business , ▁building ▁and ▁other ▁support ▁services ▁( 4 . 6 ▁percent ); ▁and ▁professional , ▁scientific ▁and ▁technical ▁services ▁( 4 . 5 ▁percent ). ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁only ▁ 1 0 . 4 ▁percent ▁of ▁S ME s ▁export ed . ▁Non eth eless , ▁they