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Labour Market Bulletin, Third Quarter 2004
An Analysis of the St. Thomas - Elgin Area Labour Market
Human Resource Centre of Canada

An overview of the St. Thomas - Elgin Area.

Employment levels continued to climb in the third quarter in the London Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), but at a slower pace compared to the second quarter. September brought the first dip in employment levels from a summer that saw employment peak at 239,700 in August. While full-time employment climbed by 10,200, part-time positions slipped by 6,000. The influx of workers into the labour market resulted in the unemployment rate climbing to 6.1% from 5.3% in the second quarter.

Overall, the Goods-Producing Sectors recorded employment gains of 6,300 in the third quarter, while the Services-Producing Sectors posted a loss of 2,200. Bustling construction activity of all types (residential, commercial and institutional) translated into a 35.5% employment growth compared to the second quarter. A number of other sectors recorded significant employment gains during the quarter including Health Care and Social Assistance; Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. Other sectors saw considerable employment losses during the quarter including Business Building and Other Support Services; Other Services; and Accommodation and Food Services. Looking at year-over-year figures, the largest employment gains were seen in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+87.7%); Transportation and Warehousing (+3,600); and Construction (+25.2%).

Highlights:

Strong construction activity continues in the St. Thomas-Elgin area. In addition to increased home activity, construction is underway for the new Valleyview Home for the Aged and the new $12 million downtown arena.
A $20 million agreement with the Canadian Armed Forces will see Arva Industries supply 28 Multipurpose Engineering Vehicles to the military.
Employment at Sterling Truck climbed by 500 to a total unionized workforce of 1,800.
A variety of openings were advertised for the new Real Canadian Superstore including Grocery, Salad Bar, Electronics, Cashiers and Photo Camera.
The demand for skilled trades occupations continues to be a concern. Forty-two percent of Canadian youth are unlikely to consider a career in skilled trades.

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