 Growth in public sector employment at all levels of government that far exceeds demographic population growth nationally, coupled with wage and benefits packages that are at least 12% greater than comparative private sector jobs have provided HRM with sustained growth in population and economic activity in recent years.HRM has also benefited from a demographic shift of younger Atlantic Canadians from rural and small town communities to urban centres.Another important ingredient in HRM's growth has been a major investment in offshore oil and gas exploration, resulting in many high-paying jobs locating to the area.