niagara labour market plan october 2013€¦ · niagara workforce planning board recognizes...

NIAGARA LABOUR MARKET PLAN OCTOBER 2013

Niagara Workforce Planning BoardOne St. Paul Street, Suite 605, St. Catharines, ON L2R 7L2

Phone: 905-641-0801 | Fax: 905-641-0308E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.niagaraworkforceboard.ca

Our MISSIONTo lead in the creation of innovative labour market

solutions by bringing people together.

Our VISIONA diverse and talented labour force contributing to a

vibrant economy.

Niagara Workforce Planning Board is a member of:

Niagara Workforce Planning Board is funded by:

www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/employmentontario

www.workforceplanningontario.ca

This document may be freely quoted and reproduced without the written consent of Niagara Workforce Planning Board (NWPB) providing there are no changes made to the text or content and NWPB is acknowledged as the author of the document.

Niagara Workforce Planning Board recognizes potential limitations of report content and is committed to ongoing research to enhance local labour market planning in Niagara.

The views expressed in this document do not necessarily re!ect those of Employment Ontario.

N iagara Workforce Planning B oard - 2013 B oard M emb ers and Staff

Business Representatives Lisa BengerMaria GrahamKatherine Nelson-RileyJohn Storm, ChairBryan Webb

Labour RepresentativesMark CarterDaniel PeatMahendra ThaleshvarRon Walker

Community RepresentativesFiona AllanDon CyrLuigi MorenoStan PrideFrank Pupillo

Government RepresentativesCharles Gervais, Ministry of Training, Colleges and UniversitiesDiane Simsovic, Niagara RegionLori Watson, Niagara Region, Community Services

Sta!David AlexanderExecutive Director

Corinna Carson Project Administrator, Niagara Immigrant Connection Initiative

Deborah Corbett Project Assistant

Meghan HoarMentorship Coordinator, NICI

Hugo ChesshireResearch Associate

Adam DurrantResearch Associate

NLMP Update 2013 | pg 1

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IntroductionThe Niagara Workforce Planning Board (NWPB) provides labour market information to the Niagara community.1 NWPB also initiates projects, provides authoritative research, and brings people together. NWPB is interested in working with community stakeholders to identify and target workforce opportunities and to strengthen our community through better-informed planning.

Our work is guided by the vision, themes, and values within the Niagara Labour Market Plan 2009 – 2013: A Vision in Action. This plan is rooted in statistical data, economic development reports, strategic plans and consultations with community stake holders. An update is provided each spring, and for this year, an update is provided for October as Employment Ontario and Statistics Canada have provided new data.

New in this labour market update are two significant data sets. The first is provided by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities in the form of Employment Ontario service-provider data. This information allows NWPB to provide Niagara with insights into those who are using employment services, and to compare and contrast Niagara’s situation with that of other regions across Ontario. The second set of data comes from Statistics Canada’s recently released 2011 National Household Survey.2 We have attempted to use this update as a way of framing some preliminary questions that we wish to explore in subsequent publications. We are also very interested in comparisons with the findings and observations of organizations and researchers in the community, and are always open to data-sharing and collaborative proposals.

The Niagara Labour Market Plan continues to be an initiative that ultimately serves to help people, organizations, and communities across the area, and is designed to support communities and stakeholders in making informed decisions in response to changing economic forecasts. This information is utilized not only to provide an overview of key issues, trends and challenges in Niagara’s labour market, but should be used to support action plans that support the workforce, training, and laying the foundation for economic opportunities. Current data can also be used in exercises to set targets.

This report provides the reader with information on workforce issues and trends, the underlying population issues, migration, educational attainment, employer characteristics and trends, and on insights into the various programs that fall under Employment Ontario services. We should mention that the purpose of this report is to give a broad overview of the Niagara labour market and historical trends, as well as identifying some potential opportunities. Because of its limited scope, this report does not provide forecasts for the region. NWPB believes the role of developing projections is best filled in partnership with a collaborative group of stakeholders that share data, generate ideas and set objectives. Measurable goals will be met as a result of good market intelligence, a fundamental understanding of economic issues, a focus on the strengths of the community, and employing mission-driven attitudes and making well-informed investments. Our belief is that positive changes can come about as a result of healthy, public debate.

NWPB acknowledges the e"orts of a great many people and organizations, and their investments in the future. If you count yourself as one of the people making a di"erence we hope that you will use this report in a positive manner to support your e"orts. Successful and sustained outcomes are a result of collaborative work that ensures that initiatives are integrated, measured, and reflect both internal Niagara needs and are scaled against appropriate external benchmarks. This report should not be used to test for performance nor should it be a criticism of the e"orts of many who serve Niagara.

As we examine the new data in concert with stakeholders, we will be able to provide information as the foundation for a continuing discussion of the trends, issues, and opportunities. As such, NWPB is very interested in continuing to work in partnership with community stakeholders and in forming new directions, both to examine workforce issues in greater detail and to develop new initiatives to capitalize on identified opportunities within the region. Much of the data in this update has only become available very recently, and so this is a “first look” at them. We plan on refining the detail of our analysis and releasing our findings in further publications; we also invite readers to review the data themselves via Statistics Canada, our website, or the companion piece, and we are keen to hear the comments and analysis that our readers may have. NWPB firmly believes in open data and in open discussion, and in this spirit we are receptive to all comments and critique. Updates to this analysis will be provided in the monthly Niagara Labour Market Observer. A companion piece containing further data used in this report is available on our web site.

We also invite readers to examine the previous updates, engage us using social media, and review our other publications on our website at www.niagaraworkforceboard.ca.

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pg 2 | NLMP Update 2013

Local Labour Market Conditions

WORKFORCE TRENDSAfter a period of growth between 1996 and 2003, the growth in the regional workforce seems to have stagnated over the last ten years at around 195,000 workers. As shown in Table 1, the size of the regional workforce declined by 5,700 workers over the past year, or by 2.8% of the 2012 workforce. Key trends such as this and the rise of the service sector employment relative to job growth in the manufacturing sector are continuing. With no evidence to suggest that these trends will decisively reverse in the foreseeable future, the issue of population change will significantly influence dynamics in the local workforce. Should this trend continue, it will have negative consequences for the region. We urge stakeholders to collaborate in generating a strategic response to address this issue.

Table 1: Niagara Employment by Sector and Industry 2012-2013 (workers, x 1,000)

June 2012

June 2013

Absolute Change

Percentage Change

2013 Labour Force

DistributionTotal employed, all industries 202.2 196.5 -5.7 -2.8% 100.0%Goods-producing sector 40.3 42.9 2.6 6.5% 21.8%Agriculture 4.0 5.1 1.0 25.1% 2.6%Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas3 Utilities3 1.7 Construction 13.7 12.6 -1.1 -7.8% 6.4%Manufacturing 20.8 23.0 2.2 10.4% 11.7%Services-producing sector 162.0 153.6 -8.4 -5.2% 78.2%Trade 31.0 32.3 1.3 4.3% 16.5%Transportation and warehousing 7.6 7.0 -0.6 -7.4% 3.6%Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing 11.8 7.9 -3.9 -33.0% 4.0%Professional, scientific and technical services 8.4 7.7 -0.7 -8.8% 3.9%Business, building and other support services 11.0 9.4 -1.6 -14.7% 4.8%Educational services 15.3 17.4 2.1 13.8% 8.8%Health care and social assistance 26.0 21.4 -4.5 -17.5% 10.9%Information, culture and recreation 10.5 7.7 -2.7 -26.2% 3.9%Accommodation and food services 22.0 21.3 -0.7 -3.1% 10.9%Other services 8.9 11.0 2.1 24.2% 5.6%Public administration 9.6 10.4 0.8 8.9% 5.3%

3, 4

A growing economy creates both service and goods-producing jobs.5 Figure 1 shows the relative ratio of service sector to goods-producing sector jobs in Niagara since 1996. As can be seen, Niagara is creating more service sector jobs than goods-producing jobs over time and since the 1970s this trend has progressed in many communities throughout Canada. The goods-producing sector saw a slight employment uptick in 2013, with 2,600 new workers representing an increase of 6.5% over the previous year. This is welcome recent news in light of the long-term decline of the goods-producing sector in Niagara.

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Local Labour Market Conditions

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While the uptick does not return this sector to 2008 employment levels, similar upticks can be seen in 2003 and 2006. While we are pleased to see this partial recovery, we are concerned it will also prove to be temporary. Sustained growth in manufacturing will require concerted e"ort and cooperation from community stakeholders given trends across Canada and the global North.6

Figure 2 shows workforce participation rates in the Niagara CMA, primarily gathered from income tax return data.7 While data are only available until 2011 at time of writing, it is clear that workforce participation rates are trending downward. This is even true for the female workforce, which we might expect to be trending upward as legislative changes and progressive social norms bring more women into the workforce.8 These trends are broadly true for Canada and Ontario as well, both of which show stagnant or slightly declining participation rates for both genders over the last decade. This may be explained in part, for example, by an aging population that has more workers filter out of the workforce due to retirement than those that arrive to replace them – a trend we can clearly see happening in Figures 3 and 4, both in Ontario and Niagara respectively.9 Labour participation is trending down, and of those workers still participating, more and more are older.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey estimates 2013

Figure 1: Ratio of service-sector to goods-producing-sector jobs

Niagara Labour Participation RatesFigure 2: Niagara Labour Participation Rates

Source: Statistics Canada, Taxfiler data, 2011.


Figure 5 shows the distribution of work in the Niagara region.10 Most workers are employed on a full-time basis, with men holding about 25% more of the full-time jobs. However, women hold more than two-thirds of all part-time jobs in Niagara. Again, these trends are not limited to the region – women also hold two-thirds of all part-time jobs in Canada as a whole, and men hold a third more full-time jobs than women in the country. These trends are likely explained by structural aspects of the Canadian economy as a whole, such as the prevalence of women performing unpaid domestic labour (e.g. housework, child-raising, etc.) which may preclude them from taking full-time work, rather than anything particular to the region.

Workforce composition by sector, shown in Figure 6, has seen few major changes over the last year. Counteracting 2012’s loss of 300 agricultural jobs — a 6.7% contraction — this year the sector created the equivalent of one thousand additional jobs, growing by 25.1%. This returns the region to 2009 employment levels, although still falling short of the 2006 peak of 7,300 jobs. However, this sector is given to fairly large fluctuations from year to year and has ranged, over the last decade, from a low of 3,500 workers to a high of 7,300. Current employment is slightly above the 18-year average of 4,700.

After rising to 13,700 jobs in 2011-2012, the construction sector fell back to 12,600 jobs in 2013. This level is consistent with 2009-2010 figures. The manufacturing sector has recovered somewhat from its 2012 low of 20,800 workers and now stands at 23,000, but is still at a lower point than at any time prior to 2009. This is attributable to a rather gradual economic recovery under way as a result of the 2008 recession.11 While we may take heart that employment levels are higher than they were earlier in the recession, the lack of a robust recovery is evident in the fact that we have yet to achieve pre-recession employment levels.

The Niagara workforce shrank overall during this period, but the goods-producing sector comprised a slightly larger slice of that workforce, as can be seen in Figure 1. Correspondingly, the number of service-sector workers has declined by 5.2% since 2012,

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Figure 3: Ontario Labour Force Participation by Age

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey estimates

Ontario Labour Force by AgeFigure 4: Niagara Labour Force Participation by Age

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey estimates

Niagara Labour Force by Age

Figure 5: Niagara Labour Force Distribution by Sex, 2012Niagara Labour Force


Part-time workersAll workers


representing a loss of 8,400 jobs. However, not all industries gained or lost equally over the last year, as Figure 7 shows. The job loss in the finance, insurance, real estate and leasing sector is particularly concerning with a loss of 3,900 jobs (a decline of 33%), as is the information, culture and recreation sector, which lost 2,700 jobs, or 26.2% of its 2012 workforce. It should be noted that the former has

fluctuated considerably over the long term, and in 2012 it was at the highest level of employment in the sector since 1996. Current employment reflects a fall-back to a figure closer to the 18-year average of 8,700. The decline in the information, culture and recreation sector seems to be part of a longer-term trend, however. The sector grew from 7,200 jobs in 1996 to a high of 15,400 in 2004, since which time it has been shrinking back fairly steadily and has almost reached its original 1996 level. This sector deserves closer examination, as it employs a large number of knowledge-based workers. If Niagara is to successfully transition into

Figure 6: Workforce Composition by Sector, Year-over-Year


Workforce Composition by Sector

Figure 7: Sectoral Employment - Changes from 2012


Sectoral Employment - Changes from 2012


a successful position in the knowledge economy, fostering growth in these careers – and the organizations that employ them – is crucial. Some cornerstone responses in this area by educational institutions include Brock University’s Cairns Centre and the Biolinc incubation space, and Niagara College’s Industry Innovation Centre.

Health care & social assistance, and business, building & other support services also saw significant contractions of 17.5% and 14.7% respectively in the last year. While these sectors have seen recent growth, these changes return them to levels last seen in prior years. Educational services and other services each added 2,100 jobs representing growth of 13.8% and 24.2% respectively. In both cases, these seem to be continuations of long-term growth, and both are now at record highs. However, even taken together, the growth in these sectors does not counteract the job losses in the health care and social assistance sector alone, and NWPB is interested in determining if workers have the skills that allow them to ably move between these occupational categories.

Common perceptions of Niagara are that the population is ageing as it becomes a retirement destination, and that healthcare and social services are stressed and unable to keep up with demand. Additionally, school boards are undertaking accommodation reviews in response to enrolment changes, and there is considerable interest in streamlining government services and in reducing public-sector duplication of e"ort. However, over the last year, we have seen employment in health care and social assistance contract, while the number of employees working in public administration and in educational services has increased.

As can be seen in Figure 8, the health care and social assistance industry is generally employing more people each year in the long-term, apart from the sudden drop in 2013. This may be due to hospital closures and consolidation, and warrants further investigation. Despite school closures, there is a marked increase in people employed in education over the last ten years, and the number of employees working in public

administration is at a high, having more than recovered from the post-2008 drop. These trends and developments contradict the generally-accepted picture of the region’s public sector, and clearly warrant further study.

Figure 8: Niagara Employment in Key Public Industries


— Educational services — Health care and social assistance — Public administration


POPULATION AND MIGRATIONThe workforce is a segment of the overall population, albeit a very large one, and broader trends in the population will a"ect the workforce. No examination of the workforce is thus complete without a corresponding look at population data, and examining patterns of migration and changes in the Niagara population is vital to understanding the dynamics of local workforce issues and challenges. A healthy local economy and a region attractive to business depend upon a growing labour force, as it is the pool of workers from which employers will recruit new talent and grow employment opportunities. Meta-analysis of studies in the field strongly indicate that jobs follow people, rather than the other way around; that being the case, a key step in revitalizing the Niagara economy must be to attract and retain more residents, and encourage population growth.12

Table 2: Population Migration in Niagara between 2005 and 2010Age Group 0-17 18-24 25-44 45-64 65+ TotalIn-migrants 11,216 8,268 21,198 11,148 4,922 56,752Out-migrants 9,188 9,452 20,277 8,414 4,243 51,574Net-migrants 2,028 -1,184 921 2,734 679 5,178

(Source: Statistics Canada, Taxfiler data, 2006 & 2010).

As shown in Table 2, over a hundred thousand people moved in and out of the Niagara CMA between 2005 and 2010. Niagara continues to attract older aged workers and their families. Although 1,184 young people in the 18-24 age group left the region, post-secondary education likely accounts for a large part of this change as high-school graduates leave the region to attend university or college.

Table 3: Population Changes, Niagara vs. OntarioNiagara Ontario

1996 378,700 11,082,9031997 381,539 11,227,6511998 383,766 11,365,9011999 385,415 11,504,7592000 388,097 11,683,2902001 389,784 11,896,6632002 393,057 12,091,0292003 396,115 12,242,2732004 399,748 12,390,5992005 402,533 12,528,4802006 404,092 12,665,3462007 403,397 12,791,0322008 402,972 12,932,4802009 403,521 13,068,8452010 404,590 13,223,7892011 405,216 13,366,2942012 405,768 13,505,9001997-2002 change 3.0% 7.7%2002-2007 change 2.6% 5.8%2007-2012 change 0.6% 5.6%

Examining changes to population in Niagara year over year since 1996 reveals that, relative to Ontario (Table 3), population growth has stagnated.

Source: Statistics Canada. Census data and inter/postcensal estimates.


Figure 9 shows a “flat” population for almost a decade, while Figure 10 reveals population growth falling o" sharply since 2004, and hovering around 0% since 2007. Even the best year on record, 2004, compares unfavourably to CMAs such as Guelph, which showed 1.3% growth in the 2011-2012 year, Waterloo (1.25%), or Oshawa (1.4%).13

For Niagara, changes in the working age population mirror those in the total population and in the workforce. More recently, since 2007, the population has grown by only 0.6%, and when compared to the continuing, healthier population growth in the province, we can clearly see that this is a local reality. When looking at year-over-year growth, in Figure 10, we can see that Niagara has slowly recovered from a brief population decline that began in 2007, but has yet to return to the growth levels seen before 2005 – which were themselves relatively sluggish.

Out of thirty-two census metropolitan areas tracked between 2011 and 2012, only three grew by less than Niagara. Areas in the Prairie Provinces showed the greatest growth, but areas such as Moncton, St. John’s, and Sherbrooke, as well as Barrie, Hamilton, Kingston, and London in Ontario all showed dramatically stronger growth than Niagara. The Niagara region is not su"ering in a larger stagnation a"ecting the country or the province, since many other regions are

showing growth and almost all are growing faster than Niagara. Rather, we have a local challenge – and, more importantly, we can develop a local solution.

As noted, a growing population and labour force are key signs of (and requirements for) a healthy economy; moreover, it is a challenge to attract new employers and to support growth of the existing workforce in a region when the population is not keeping pace with other regions in the province. It is clear that stakeholders need to continue to regard this as an issue of common interest and commit to a long-term, coordinated response. Given recently available data and tools, NWPB believes that this important issue warrants further study. A deep analysis of the intra-region movement of workers, population trends and dynamics in Niagara, developed between local research institutions and academia, should be the first step to formulating and implementing solutions.

Figure 9: Niagara Workforce vs. Population Changes

Source: Statistics Canada. Census data and inter/postcensal estimates. “Working age” is defined as the population aged 15-64, and does not exclude those in this age range unable or unwilling to participate in the labour force

Population

Figure 10: Niagara Population Growth, Year-over-year

Source: Statistics Canada. Census data and inter/postcensal estimates.

Population Growth, Year-on-Year


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EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTOne approach to solving the population problem may be through education, as an educated workforce o"ers greater incentive to employers – particularly in STEM industries and the creative sector – while more opportunities for workers to become better-educated in the region discourages them from leaving the area for education, with the attendant chance that they may not return. New data released in the 2011 National Household Survey allows us to make some key observations on educational attainment in the labour force in the Niagara CMA.14 It should be noted that there is continuing controversy over the accuracy of data from the Survey. The change from the census to the survey meant that returning information was now voluntary, not compulsory, with inaccuracies correspondingly introduced as not all groups returned the survey in the same proportions. For example, lower-income households returned fewer surveys per thousand people than higher-income households.

As indicated in Figure 11, 12% of Niagara’s labour force has less than a grade twelve education — slightly higher than the observed provincial level of 10% shown in Figure 12 — while 32% of people in Niagara report completion of secondary school as their highest level of education. This figure is five percentage points higher than the proportion of the provincial labour force reporting the same level of educational attainment. Compared to the province, the Niagara CMA has a smaller proportion of the labour force holding some level of post-secondary education, with 57% of the local labour force having completed a course of trade, college, or university education. This figure is 6.6 percentage points below that observed at the provincial level.

Another important observation to emerge out of these figures relates to Niagara’s ability to retain and mobilize a skilled workforce. While NHS data reveal some challenges in terms of higher unemployment among individuals with a lower level of educational attainment, there is also some room for potential optimism in competitively low levels of unemployment for college and university graduates.

Individuals without a secondary school diploma report the highest rates of unemployment in both Ontario and Niagara (see Figure 13). However, these rates are significantly higher at the CMA level than they are in the province: 17.2% and 14.3%, respectively. A total of 0.8 percentage points separate Niagara from the province’s level of unemployment, 10.1% and 10.9% respectively, for individuals who have only completed high school. A 2008 report from the Canadian Council on Learning identified the completion of secondary school as a key factor in mitigating long-term economic costs for both the state and individual players.15 Given the significance of these figures, NWPB believes it to be in the best interest of the local economy to conduct additional research into this area, specifically exploring the age of the population in relation to its educational attainment.

Niagara workers who had achieved either a trade certificate/diploma or a registered apprentice certificate reported a higher level of unemployment at 8.3%, compared to the provincial level of 7.2%. While college graduates saw equal levels of unemployment

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Figure 11: Labour Force Educational Attainment Niagara, 2010

Source: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey

Labour Force Educational Attainment

Niagara, 2011

Figure 12: Labour Force Educational Attainment Ontario, 2010


Ontario, 2011


at 6.3% at both the Niagara and provincial level, these figures may not be accurate representations of unemployment within this level of the workforce as Statistics Canada has reported that the “Completion of University below Bachelor Level” category for educational attainment was over-reported in household survey returns.16

Based on the NHS data, university graduates in the St. Catharines-Niagara CMA report a slightly lower level of unemployment at 4.9% compared to the province-wide figure of 5.7%. While

these figures appear to be good news for university

graduates within the local labour market, they do invite some deeper follow-up questions. For example, is there a relationship between lower unemployment rates for university graduates and potentially higher rates for college graduates, and to what extent are university graduates working in positions that are commensurate with their skills and training? Exploring potential answers to these questions can be done with an employer survey, currently in development by NWPB.

Though comparable in terms of proportionality within the post-secondary but non-university-trained portion of the labour force, Figure 14 shows that Niagara has a slightly higher level of educational attainment within the trades than the province as a whole. Specifically, 13.1% of this segment of Niagara’s labour force reported holding a trades certificate or diploma, and a further 10.5% held a registered apprenticeship certificate. In the province as a whole, we see 11.5% of the post-secondary, non-university trained workforce reported holding a trade certificate, and 9.7% with a registered apprenticeship certificate, respectively. The figures also suggest a higher level of college completion at 68.1% in the local workforce when compared to the provincial figure of 66.3%.

Figure 15 demonstrates similar trends in university-level educational attainment in the local and provincial labour force.

The only significant di"erences were in terms of post-graduate degrees. In Niagara, 13.5% of the university-educated workforce attained a certificate or diploma beyond the bachelor level, compared to 11.8% in the province as a whole. The province also saw a slightly higher proportion of Master’s level attainment at 20%, compared to 18.5% in Niagara.

Figure 14: Labour Force Educational Attainment in the Trades and College-trained Professionals, 2010


within the Trades and College


Comparative Unemployment Rates by Educational AttainmentFigure 13: Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment, 2010



Table 4: Highest Level of Educational Attainment within the Labour Force Niagara OntarioTotal Labour Force 199,960 6,864,985College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma

26.57% 23.23%

Bachelor’s degree 10.98% 17.55%Master’s degree 3.26% 5.65%University certificate or diploma below bachelor level

3.21% 4.43%

Trades certificate or diploma 5.15% 3.99%Registered Apprenticeship certificate 4.09% 3.40%University certificate or diploma above bachelor level

2.39% 3.32%

Earned doctorate 0.50% 0.96%Degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or optometry

0.49% 0.74%


As seen in Table 4, a college education is generally the highest level of educational attainment within both the local and provincial labour market. Just over one in four Niagara workers (26.6%) have a college certificate or diploma as their highest level of educational attainment. The percentage is similar, though slightly less, (23.2%) at the provincial level. We see more significant di"erences at the Bachelor’s degree level. Niagara’s labour force

reports 11% of individuals with a Bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education, while the provincial figure is significantly higher at 17.6%. Moving forward, this could present unique challenges for the local labour force as the global economy shifts toward a more knowledge-based focus.

EMPLOYER CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDSAs of June 2013, there were a total of 25,758 employers active in Niagara.17 As seen in Figure 17, this number represents an absolute increase of 1,386 employers compared to June 2012’s count of 24,372. However, it is important to note that out of those 1,386, 1,145

“employers” are classified as owner-operated (i.e. self-employed workers). Proportionally, as Figure 16 shows, owner-operated enterprises now account for 51% of Niagara’s local employer base.

Figure 15: Labour Force Educational Attainment by University Degree, 2010



by University Degree

Figure 16: Number of Businesses in Niagara by Employee Size June 2013

Number of Businesses in Niagara by Employee Size 2013

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Patterns


The number of businesses employing 1-4 workers increased by a total of 150 between June 2012 and June 2013. The number of employers with 5 to 9 employees also saw an absolute year-over-year increase of 26. Employers with 10-19 and 20-49 employees saw very close proportional increases, as seen in Table 5, with absolute growth of 31 and 25 employers, respectively. Enterprises with 50-99 employees increased by 3.

In terms of medium sized employers, Figure 18 shows that from 2012 to 2013 Niagara saw its second greatest proportional increase in businesses who employ 100-199 people; this stratum increased by eleven businesses, which comprises a year over year increase of 6.5%. For comparison, only owner-operated businesses outpaced this stratum in terms of growth, posting a year over year increase of 9.5%. The number of businesses employing 200-499 individuals contracted from 75 to 72 between June of 2012 and June of 2013. Similarly, the number of businesses employing more than 500 employees fell from 19 to 17 during the same time period. This loss of two employers constitutes a significant year-over-year reduction of 10.5%.

A deeper analysis into these figures provides some interesting avenues for future research. In 2013, two businesses employing more than 500 employees in the fields of plastics and rubber manufacturing and administrative support services either closed, downsized, relocated, or changed their primary industrial focus.18 Current data support the hypothesis that the former closed entirely or changed industrial focus, with no apparent downward shift in business size evident. The latter, on the other hand, may have downsized, as three additional employers appeared with smaller employee sizes (of which

this could be one). Accounting for these and other similar fluctuations would require additional qualitative research to clarify the relationship between lost large employers and gains in smaller ones within the same sector. Given the relative importance of any medium to large employer to the Niagara economy, more in-depth research into the health of these enterprises would be prudent. Furthermore, with data at the census subdivision level, we would be able to o"er additional observations for municipalities within the St. Catharines-Niagara CMA.

Figure 17: Micro and Small Employers in Niagara by Employee SizeSmall Businesses in Niagara by Employee Size


Figure 18: Medium-Large Employers in Niagara by Employee SizeMedium-Large Businesses in Niagara by

Employee Size



Table 5: Employers in Niagara19

Employee Size Range

Number of Employers Absolute Change

Niagara Percent Change (%)

Ontario Percent Change (%)

2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2012 to 2013 2012 to 2013 2012 to 2013Total 24570 24250 24724 24372 25758 1386 5.69 8.37Owner-Operated

12247 11994 12456 12050 13195 1145 9.50 10.97

1-4 5938 5895 6070 6054 6204 150 2.48 6.945-9 2938 2907 2774 2761 2787 26 0.94 2.9210-19 1668 1662 1658 1682 1713 31 1.84 2.8420-49 1107 1113 1154 1188 1213 25 2.10 3.7650-99 410 410 363 373 376 3 0.80 2.05100-199 160 168 159 170 181 11 6.47 2.07

200-499 81 79 67 75 72 -3 -4.00 1.75500 + 21 22 23 19 17 -2 -10.53 -0.19

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Patterns19

Compared to historical trends and current observations at the provincial level, Table 5 shows that Niagara presents a complex narrative. Both the provincial and CMA data reflect a trend toward an expanding number of owner-operated businesses. Niagara is within 1.5 percentage points of the provincial level from 2012 to 2013. Niagara does not compare favourably to provincial increases in the number of small businesses. Ontario saw an increase of 6.9% in the number of businesses employing 1-4 individuals between 2012 and 2013, but during the same time period, Niagara only grew 2.5% in this stratum. This pattern of under-performance when compared to the province continues up until the 100-199 employee range. While there is some room for cautious optimism in Niagara’s increase of 6.5% in employers employing 100-199 people when compared to the provincial figure of 2.1%, it has already been noted that these increases may be the result of larger businesses scaling back their operations, changing their operations such that they are covered under a di"erent NAICS code, or reducing employment levels.

In terms of five year trends within the CMA, we have observed a trend toward smaller-sized businesses. Owner-operated businesses fell to a low of 11,994 in 2009, but by 2011, these figures had recovered to 2008 levels, and by 2013 had grown beyond them. Businesses employing 1-4 employees follow a similar trend, contracting through the worst of the recession years, and then increasing through 2012 and 2013. One possible area of vulnerability is in businesses employing 5-9 employees. This set of employers has seen a steady, if slow, decline between 2008 and 2013. Business firm sizes with 10-19 sta" have demonstrated relative stability between 2008 and 2013, increasing slightly in terms of absolute figures in 2013. Another encouraging trend was found in the steady growth in employers of 20-49 individuals. However, those figures must be met with caution as the number of businesses employing 50-99 sta" has demonstrated stagnation and decline between 2008 and 2013. As previously indicated, there may be a measurable relationship between losses in higher-level employers and gains in the lower tiers. We see this hypothesis further reflected in the increase in businesses employing 100-199 individuals between 2008 and 2013, and the comparable decline in businesses employing 200-499 within the same time period. Niagara’s largest employers, i.e. those with more than 500 individuals on the payroll, declined from 2008 to 2013. Overall, these trends are somewhat symptomatic of the post-recession economy.

EMPLOYMENT ONTARIOFront-line service providers are the primary means through which we tackle issues such as those raised so far – unemployment, underemployment, skill mismatch, and so forth. Examination of data concerning these agencies is of the utmost importance if NWPB and other organizations are to provide optimal assistance to these service providers. As with other community organizations and stakeholders, NWPB sees supporting these agencies as a key part of its mission, and we o"er some analysis of this data in the hopes that it will help them to improve their performance.


Employment Ontario is the initiative under which local partner Employment Service agencies deliver employment and training services to those looking for work. These agencies are community hubs in Niagara and provide a number of employment service options, including referrals into Second Career and apprenticeship programs. These agencies do not necessarily serve the unemployed exclusively, but are also a resource for newcomers, workers seeking to acquire new skills, underemployed workers, etc. Based on data provided by Employment Ontario, we have been able to construct a picture of the outcomes for Employment Services clients in the Niagara region. This data is a snapshot obtained one year later than the Statistics Canada Household Survey, but there is some reliability to allow us to compare and contrast the characteristics of the people served by Employment Ontario with general employment data. Furthermore, there are ten Employment Service agencies that provided reports and the data is a compilation of these statistics.20 Presentations were made and discussions held to aid in analysing the data and synthesizing some responses. At a future date a detailed analysis using more details data can assess whether total agency caseload reflects the unemployed population as a whole, whether there are segments of the population under or over represented, and identifying further opportunities, gaps or avoiding duplication in service. To that end, examining further opportunities for service integration with Ministry of Consumer and Social Services locally funded programs would be a good step.

Table 6 is a summary of some of the important facts from the Employment Ontario data concerning the Niagara region as a whole. These figures are from the 2012-2013 fiscal year and represent the entire Niagara region geography and not only the CMA.

Table 6: Employment Ontario Basic Data21

Number of Clients 7,056 Employed Clients Male Clients 3,800 Employed Full-Time 2,309Female Clients 3253 Employed Part-Time 974Newcomers 178 Self-Employed 169Visible Minority Clients 176 Both employed and in education 43Clients with Disabilities 314 Both employed and in training 41Educational Attainment at Intake Employed Apprentice 69Less than Grade 8 72 Employed in area of training/choice 595Less than Grade 12 910 Employed in a more suitable job 157Completion of Secondary 2,758 Employed in a prof occupation/trade 83Completion of College 2,047 Training/Education Completion of University 762 OSSD or equivalent 51Other 507 Postsecondary 115Source of Income Academic Upgrading 92Employment Insurance 1,770 Other Education 33Ontario Works 1,629 Second Career 352Ontario Disability Support Program 104 EO training initiatives 311No Source of Income 1,710 EO Literacy training 9Other 1,843 ESL/FSL 20Outcomes at Exit MCI Bridge Programs 8Employed 4,440 Federal 11Training/Education 1,095 Apprenticeship 4Other 1,521 Other occupational skills training 89


Many clients are being placed into part-time work which is ill-suited to their skills or which bears no relation to the trade they wished to find work in, and is frequently in poorly-paid industries such as retail or food and beverage service (i.e. waiting tables and tending a bar). Niagara is not egregious in any of these categories, since they reflect structural shortcomings in the Employment Ontario system as a whole, but we should be as alarmed by these outcomes as any other region in the province. Canada and the Global North in general continue to struggle with the growth of part-time, non-unionized, low-paid and unskilled employment at the expense of full-time, organized, well-paid jobs, which are increasingly being o"shored owing to their expense for employers.22

As shown in Table 6, only one-third of clients in the Niagara region found full-time work. In the workforce as a whole, for comparison, four-fifths of workers are employed full-time. Statistically, at a very low resolution, it can be considered a “good” result to place a client in employment, no matter on what basis. However, a workforce increasingly composed of part-time, low-paid workers is not good for our long-term economic health.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 20 less than 10% of Employment Ontario clients in Niagara find work in their area of training or choice. This is slightly better than in either the Western region (of which Niagara is a part), or the province. However, it remains a cause for concern. The region is not able to capitalize on the skills and training of the workforce and many workers may be under-employed (i.e. employed part-time when they would prefer full-time work, and/or employed in a position which does not utilize their skills – the cliché of Ph.D.-holders driving taxis, for example).

There may also be situations where workers possessing skills may not have certifications or licenses, so although they are viable employees,

they are unable to get work in their chosen field. Solving these skill mismatches is critical for improving the labour market. There are also, conversely, complaints from employers that they cannot find workers for certain positions, and here it is important to look deeper into the process of skills and professional development. For example, there may be a large number of people with bachelor’s degrees in the humanities working in part-time, low-paid service-sector jobs, yet none of them are immediately useful to an employer looking to hire more certified electricians.

The continuing and long-term shrinkage of Niagara’s manufacturing sector probably plays some role in this, as skilled workers in that sector are thrown out of work as employers close, move, or downsize, and are then forced to take work elsewhere in order to make ends meet. Because the manufacturing sector is vital to Niagara’s economy and there are recent signs of an uptick in employment, this long term labour market adjustment needs to be checked with forthcoming evidence from a study on the sector by Niagara Region Economic Development.

Figure 19: Client Outcomes at Employment Services Exit

Source: Employment Ontario, 2013

Outcomes at Exit

Outcomes at Exit - SuitabilityFigure 20: Employment Services Outcomes at Exit - Suitability



The majority of clients accessing employment services in the Niagara region have a high-school education or less as seen in Figure 21.. A few decades ago, this level of education would have qualified a worker for manufacturing work which stood a good chance of being unionized, well-paid, and with attendant benefits. With the decline of manufacturing and an increased focus on higher skilled knowledge-based workers, it is increasingly unlikely that a worker without a post-secondary education and current set of skills could find a well-paid job in Niagara.

In Niagara, a smaller percentage of clients have attained a university level education than in the Western region, or the province. By itself, these data do not necessarily mean that university-educated workers are less likely to be unemployed (although, from other data, that is true), but only that fewer university-educated workers are seeking help from employment services in Niagara.

Of the clients assisted by Employment Ontario in Niagara, 16% find work in administrative, support, waste management and remediation services, with accommodation & food services and retail following close behind, as shown in Figure 22. These three industries account for almost half of all outcomes, and again, are generally defined by low wages, part-time work,

and precarious, unstable employment. Many workers assisted into these industries may require employment services assistance again in the near future or other forms of social assistance. A lot of these jobs may also be highly seasonal, particularly in the Niagara region, with its heavy reliance and specialization in tourism and hospitality sectors, especially considering how many former clients find work in accommodation and food services, or the retail sector.

Niagara is able to place more workers in the construction industry, at 9.5%, than is the case in the province and in the Western region. While manufacturing and construction jobs are likely to be better-paid than other industries (unionized construction trades currently average $35 per hour in Niagara), the high proportion of outcomes into low-paying and precarious occupations such as those found in retail, accommodation and food services etc. is a cause for concern – particularly in light of other data indicating the prevalence of part-time employment.23 Furthermore, even though the data show considerable numbers of people entering the construction or manufacturing industries, these jobs may not be unionized or skilled unless the worker already had such skills to begin with – in which case, that worker was probably already employed in such a capacity before

requiring ES assistance. With less than 1% of clients achieving an apprenticeship, very few newly-skilled workers may be making their way into these industries. NWPB is committed to a deeper investigation of these data, particularly on a service-by-service basis, but also to obtaining data for a longer time-frame, i.e. to investigate the outcomes achieved by former clients 3, 6 or 12 months after their exit, to see how their situation has developed.

Figure 21: Employment Services; Client Education Profile


Client Education

Figure 22: Employed former ES Clients by sector


Employed Industry Outcome


Our Vision is W

orking

Second Career is a program aimed at helping laid-o" workers acquire new skills and certifications so as not only to re-enter the workforce, but to do so in better jobs – higher wages, better benefits, and more job stability – which is better for the long-term economic prosperity of the region. However, Second Career sometimes seems to approve training in trades which are not in great demand, and therefore the investment in the client – and the client’s e"ort in training and learning – may not achieve a good return inasmuch as the client may not go on to a successful and better-remunerated career. We also note that Second Career places the onus for labour market research on the potential client, and only requires them to produce three recent job postings to “prove” demand for their chosen profession or trade. The program may benefit from improved labour market information in terms of assisting clients into better jobs by matching their skills with market demand. Further study is required to determine if this is true, and to produce a plan to bring this about. NWPB is very interested in partnering with frontline service providers and program administrators in these e"orts.

Table 7: Occupations and Registrations in the TradesTop 10 Trades: New Registrations Top 10 Trades: Active JourneypersonsInformation Technology - Contact Centre Customer Service Agent Automotive Service Technician

Information Technology - Contact Centre Sales Agent Industrial Mechanic Millwright

Automotive Service Technician Electrician - Construction and Maintenance

Hairstylist Hairstylist

Information Technology - Contact Centre Technical Support Agent Industrial Electrician

Cook Truck and Coach Technician

Electrician - Construction and Maintenance General Machinist

General Carpenter Cook

Child Development Practitioner General Carpenter

Industrial Mechanic Millwright Plumber

Source: Employment Ontario, Local Board Report 2012-2013, Niagara Workforce Planning Board (#13)

Table 7 shows some incongruity between the three most numerous apprentice registrations and the three most numerous categories of active journeypersons in the Niagara CMA. Telephone-based customer service and sales are the top two apprenticeships, with automotive service technicians constituting the third. While automotive service technicians were listed as the top trade for active journeypersons in Niagara, the second and third place trades were industrial millwrights and electricians. Additional data provided by Niagara College shows that as of June 2011, there was only a single employer for 413 call centre apprentices. In comparison, there were 282 employers for 651 automotive service apprentices. NWPB anticipates a need to examine the linkage between new registrants and existing journeypersons to determine if the inflow of new skilled tradespeople will be able to keep pace with retirements across all areas of applied careers24. Issues such as these will be examined in future research, including our upcoming Destination Apprenticeship brochure.

Employment Services are under considerable pressure to place clients in any kind of employment in order to achieve targets, so this should not be seen as a criticism of these service providers. However, an emphasis on getting the unemployed into any work, no matter the hours, skill level, or wages, is not good for the long-term economic health of the region or for that of the country as a whole. Training for better jobs, higher skill levels and greater earning power is a better long-term investment, and helps to buoy the middle class, the prosperity of which is the key driver of healthy and sustainable economic growth – particularly in a mass-consumption economy. Of course, this can only deliver results as part of a more general economic focus on raising wages and on cultivating better-paid economic sectors.


PARTNERSHIPS

In addition to labour market research and planning, based on the data presented above, NWPB is required to initiate partnerships in key workforce development areas. As a result of new data contained in this report, and within the framework of the Niagara Labour Market Plan, we plan to enter into a round of consultations with key stakeholders and employers within the Niagara area. This will allow us to develop a broad base of community engagement as we conclude 2013 partnerships and lay the foundation for our 2014 business plan. Niagara-wide Employer Survey — NWPB is working to develop a clear and e"ective methodology for this three-year project. Through sharing external best practices with Niagara stakeholders and initiating processes to coordinate open data, NWPB believes employers and their networks can benefit from having one Niagara-wide survey. The Employment Help Centre’s Quarterly Employment Forecast survey and Port Colborne’s use of the Business Retention + Expansion survey are two examples of local initiatives that can be integrated into a larger initiative in the future.

Labour Market Information (LMI) System —This partnership develops the local consortium of available LMI data as well as supporting research into “open data.” Results in this area include continuing benchmarking work that can reveal specific strategies to deal with skills shortages, mismatches, and opportunities for innovation such as Business Intelligence software for workforce development. This includes inventorying LMI researchers, expertise, sources and resources, producing the data and cases for project outputs such as employment aggregation, and local advocacy for broader initiatives. This system is the second step to developing a way for a broader results-based portal allowing stakeholders access to the most relevant and current data.

Agriculture, Bio and Rural Talent — NWPB continues to conduct research on Niagara’s strengths in this sector. A proposed sector-based approach to exploring opportunities in this area will result in NWPB contributing to a comprehensive long-term plan.

Social Innovation — NWPB was the key sponsor in a second TEDxCities event on June 22nd, 2013. The results of this presentation have been recorded and are available online at www.tedxstcatharines.com. Presentations such as this form the basis for NWPB’s inquiries into the e"ect of new media on the changing workforce and the impact social innovation has on paid work.

The Niagara Job Crawl — NWPB provided support to this initiative where two busses of Niagara College and Brock Students visited employer sites as a means of showcasing various high quality jobs available within the Niagara region. It also allowed some insight into Niagara’s hidden job market. In looking forward, it may serve as a model for other municipalities interested in demonstrating the attractive qualities of their local labour market to an increasingly mobile youth labour force.

Niagara Apprenticeship Forum — NWPB facilitated a workshop with many key stakeholders in an attempt to better understand labour market opportunities for apprentices. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s Executive Director was our guest speaker, and a follow-up consultative process provided key input to improving the information available. The Destination Apprenticeship brochure was the result of these meetings.

STEM Career Focus — On-going dialogue and research continues to contribute to the formulation of a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) initiative. Full development will require a number of key stakeholders to recognize and sustain an emphasis on careers in this area. NWPB’s key role will be to refresh occupational profiles and use social media in this area.

Future Work Outreach — Review and discussion with key stakeholders are continuing. The Martin Prosperity Institute’s presentation from earlier this year fuelled NWPB’s interest in examining creative class initiatives and seeking comparators from smaller and similar regions. NWPB looks forward to determining best practices and a systematic approach to identify emerging sectors, occupations and careers. After reviewing the available evidence, we believe that productive initiatives for future partnership opportunities include:

Initiate a demand-side study of occupations and immediate employer needs, one that would be a precursor to achieving the Niagara-wide survey and be seen as a ‘quick start’ for specific sectors.Supporting leadership and HR professionals and their networks. Investigate the use and benefit of labour market intelligence tools.Support the development of local web-based products that will inform employers, those interested in self-employment, and jobseekers. Encouraging ways to improve continuing education.Social media and internet communications and research.


NWPB can draw some general observations from the data. First, it is clear that Niagara, like a number of other regions, faces significant challenges. In facing these challenges, our goal is to provide clear, non-partisan observations about the data. NWPB welcomes feedback on our observations and suggestions for future research paths. We applaud the e"orts and investments of many people who are already hard at work and equally compelled to a"ect the necessary changes to grow our economy and transform this region. With the understanding that there is a great deal of available information, we have placed additional tables and charts on our web site for those that wish to delve deeper into what is available. We welcome this and look forward to a conversation with anyone who wishes to discuss labour market issues. To that end, we o"er the following concluding observations and suggest directions for further examination.

The new data that has come to light in this report suggests that a deeper question needs to be examined where employment and educational attainment are connected: Do unemployment numbers below the provincial average for university educated individuals and higher than provincial average unemployment numbers for people without completion of secondary school reflect a labour market trend of over qualified university graduates taking up a greater proportion of low wage/low skill jobs?

Unemployment data continues to indicate that training and education markedly increase the likelihood of finding work, and jobs with better wages and benefits. In addition, employers are observing that they are highly selective and place a keen emphasis on soft skills.

Data from Employment Ontario indicates a potential emphasis in Employment Services on getting clients “o" the books” as soon as possible, into whatever work is available, regardless of its suitability for their skills, experience, or requirements in terms of hours or income. This has the benefit of encouraging participation in the local economy and meeting targets for short-term outcomes, but may not be the best policy for long-term economic prosperity regarding skill mismatches and lost productivity.

The size of the population and labour force in Niagara, especially for some sectors, continues to stagnate or even contract. Combined with the aging population, this is a clear structural challenge for the region in the coming few decades as older workers retire and fewer new ones arrive to replace them, creating a diminishing tax base, lessened local consumer spending, and a greater drain on local public services.

Business pattern data reveal that owner-operated businesses constitute 51% of the local economy. We need a deeper read on these occupations where people are creating their own job. Some key questions include: to what extent are people drawing primary income from these businesses? What is the proportion of cottage industries therein, and how do we understand their emergence in terms of changing economic factors? Are people turning to entrepreneurship because they want to add a revenue stream to full time employment; is it a top-up for a part time workforce; or are these people merely informally o"ering whatever marketable skills they possess after being downsized out of a traditional job? Moreover, do people have the soft skills and the mentoring network to support, sustain, and grow a business? NWPB hopes that more conversations will be held about creating a more resilient entrepreneurial culture, and focus on the connection between innovation and creating jobs.

At the other end of the employer spectrum, there is mixed data in terms of the loss of large employers (500+ employees) and the increase in medium-sized (100 to 499 employees) employers. Some data at the 3 digit level NAICS level could represent large industries downsizing. There are also some indicators of increased employment levels in specific sectors (paper manufacturing, heavy and civil engineering, professional scientific and technical services) which requires additional qualitative research, especially if there is the potential for a strategic strength and even a competitive economic cluster. 25

Data from the National Household Survey suggests that St. Catharines-Niagara o"ers less expensive housing costs for both renters and owners compared to neighbouring CMAs. Combined with income and input cost evidence, additional research should be conducted to see how this could be leveraged to increase the size of the local labour force and if it can be used to determine an index of cost of living and a"ordability in Niagara. The low cost of housing is definitely an asset for the growth of a skilled labour force.26

Summary & Conclusions


While this report did not look at local workforce commuting patterns, NWPB recommends that a refined data set be acquired and shared with stakeholders to gauge how much income is being generated within Niagara and how much is being brought in from outside the CMA. Furthermore, new business intelligence tools can be used to obtain consumer price index information to better understand the income figures for Niagara. While this report supports the e"ort of benchmarking regions, being able to inform income trends with cost of living data would be a significant achievement.

NWPB continues to look forward for opportunities to engage the Niagara community on issues related to the labour market. Specifically, NWPB is eager to see more detailed data becoming available, refining existing partnerships, digging into the structural issues that a"ect our local economy, moving evidence into practice, and supporting positive directions with hard work and determination. It is clear that a number of exciting initiatives are under way and that a number of things are changing.


Employment Ontario Service ProvidersBusiness Education Council of Niagara - http://www.becniagara.ca/Canadian Mental Health Association - http://www.cmhaniagara.ca/CERF Niagara - http://www.cerfniagara.com/Employment Help Centre - http://www.employmenthelp.org/Employment Solutions - http://www.employment-solutions.org/John Howard Society of Niagara – Job Gym - http://www.jobgym.com/Niagara Centre for Independent Living - http://www.abilityforlife.ca/Niagara College Employment and Training Solutions - http://jobs.niagaracollege.ca/contentNiagara Employment Help Centre - http://www.ehc.on.ca/Port Cares - http://www.portcares.on.ca/YMCA of Niagara Employment Services - http://www.getajobniagara.com/

Reference WebsitesCanadian Apprenticeship Forum: www.ic.gc.ca Canada Business Network: www.canadabusiness.ca Employment and Social Development Canada: www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca Industry Canada: www.ic.gc.ca MCI Bridge Training: www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/keyinitiatives/bridgetraining.shtml Niagara Community Observatory: www.brocku.ca/niagara-community-observatory Niagara Regional Housing: www.nrh.ca Niagara Workforce Planning Board: www.niagaraworkforceboard.ca Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants: www.ocasi.org Ontario College of Trades: www.collegeoftrades.ca Ontario Job Futures: www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/labourmarket/ojf Second Career: www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/secondcareer Statistics Canada: www.statcan.gc.ca Working in Canada: www.workingincanada.gc.ca Workforce Planning Ontario: www.workforceplanningontario.ca

References Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Patterns, 2012-2013Statistics Canada, Table 051-0046 - Estimates of population by census metropolitan area, sex and age, CANSIM (database). (accessed: 2013-09-30)Statistics Canada. Table 327-0003 - Construction union wage rates, monthly (dollars), CANSIM (database). (accessed: 2013-09-30)Statistics Canada, Taxfiler Data, St. Catharines-Niagara Census Metropolitan Area, 2006-2011Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey, Catalogue 99-012-X2011037 Labour Force Status (8), Highest Certificate, Diploma or Degree (15), Major Field of Study - Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2011 (82), Location of Study Compared with Province or Territory of Residence (6), Age Groups (13B) and Sex (3) for the Population Aged 15 Years and Over, in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 National Household Survey.Hoogstra, Gerke J., Jouke van Dijk, and Raymond J.G.M. Florax. 2011. “Determinants of Variation in Population-Employment Interaction Findings: A Quasi-Experimental Meta-Analysis,”Geographical Analysis 43, 14–37. Cited in Thomas de Graaf, Frank G. van Oort, and Raymond J.G.M. Florax, 2012. “Regional Population-Employment Dynamics Across Di"erent Sectors of the Economy,” Journal of Regional Science 52, no.1, 61.Hankivsky, Olena. “Cost Estimates of Dropping Out of High School in Canada,” Canadian Council on Learning, 2008

Niagara Workforce Planning BoardOne St. Paul Street, Suite 605, St. Catharines, ON L2R 7L2

Phone: 905-641-0801 | Fax: 905-641-0308E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.niagaraworkforceboard.ca

MANDATELeading in the creation of innovative labour market solutions by:

• Providing authoritative research

• Identifying employment trends

• Targeting workforce opportunities

• Initiating development projects

• Bringing people together

niagara labour market plan october 2013€¦ · niagara workforce planning board recognizes...

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