Labour Market Bulletin Thunder Bay

Labour Market Bulletin, Third Quarter 2005
An Analysis of the Thunder Bay Area Labour Market
Service Canada

An Overview of the Thunder Bay Area Labour Market

The labour markets in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario are starting to reflect the impact of the on-going forestry crisis and the continuing uncertainty in the region's traditional employment areas.

Despite the fact that the summer is generally a strong time for the labour market in Thunder Bay, the third quarter of 2005 saw a decline. The participation rate fell sharply as the quarter ended; this was the result of people leaving the labour force. This also resulted in a lower unemployment rate. Employment Insurance (EI) claim load figures were lower this quarter, which may reflect people leaving the area.

Despite the contraction of the labour force, this was another strong quarter with respect to advertised opportunities. A bright spot for the city is growth in employment within health occupations as the new hospital and expansion in biotechnology provide a possible new direction for future employment within the city.

In the Labour Force Survey:

Very modest weakening in Thunder Bay
Surprising labour force decline during summer season
Job losses mount in the Northwest
However, unemployment rate lower as labour force contracts

Employment by Industry:

Growth in services year over year in Thunder Bay
Greatest gains in health care and social assistance
Small declines in services-producing sector in Northwest
But employment in the sector higher year over year

Third quarter sees lower EI claim load levels
Despite increase in female claimants.

Another strong quarter for advertised vacancies
Part-time vacancies drive growth.

The complete Labour Market Bulletin, including these Highlights, is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, print version (size: 185 kb)

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