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Labour Market Bulletin, Third Quarter 2004
An Analysis of the Woodstock-Tillsonburg-Oxford Area Labour Market
Human Resource Centre of Canada

An overview of the Woodstock-Tillsonburg-Oxford Area.

Employment levels continued to climb in the third quarter in the London-Woodstock labour market (Economic Region 560), 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 337,100 in August. The increase in employment resulted in the employment rate reaching a 15-year high of 68.7% during the summer. While full-time employment climbed by 13,400 during the quarter, part-time positions slipped by 8,100. The influx of workers into the labour market resulted in the unemployment rate climbing to 5.9% from 5.3% in the second quarter.

Overall, the Goods-Producing Sectors recorded employment gains of 8,900 in the third quarter, while the Services-Producing Sectors posted a loss of 3,700. Bustling construction activity of all types (residential, commercial and institutional) translated into a 21.7% 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; Manufacturing; Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing; Public Administration; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. Other sectors saw considerable employment losses during the quarter including Business Building and Other Support Services; Trade; Other Services; Accommodation and Food Services; and Educational Services. Looking at year-over-year figures, the largest employment gains were seen in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+88.2%) and Transportation and Warehousing (+36.8%).

Highlights:

An increase in production of the Chevrolet Equinox has resulted in the recall of 150 laid off workers at Cami Automotive Inc. A $100 million investment in the plant in 2005 will further increase plant capacity.
Forty new permanent workers were hired for the opening of the new $3.4 million Canadian Tire outlet in Tillsonburg
In order to meet demand, the Oxford Technical Training Centre plans to offer several new programs including heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Over 900 students found jobs with nearly 250 area employers through the Woodstock Human Resource Centre of Canada student office.
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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