Labour Market Bulletin Kenora

Labour Market Bulletin, Fourth Quarter 2005
An Analysis of the Kenora/Dryden/Fort Frances Area Labour Market
Service Canada

An overview of the Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances, Atikokan, Red Lake, Ear Falls, Sioux Lookout and surrounding areas.

More bad news in forestry and continuing good news in mining contributed to mixed results in the Kenora/Dryden/Fort Frances area labour market in the fourth quarter of 2005.

The crisis in the forestry sector continued with the permanent closure of the Abitibi Consolidated mill in Kenora and the announcement by Weyerhaeuser Dryden to lay off 120 workers on April 1, 2006.

On a brighter note, Kenora Forest Products plans to expand its sawmill and Fibratech Manufacturing in Atikokan is optimistic regarding a major expansion project.

Mining activity in the area remained strong, with several exploration and drilling projects underway.

Employment Insurance claim levels rose this quarter, a trend normally found in the fourth quarter due to the seasonality of employment in the area.

Labour market conditions continued to weaken in the Northwest, with employment declining for the fourth consecutive quarter in 2005. Conditions were also much weaker than those posted in the region during the last quarter of 2004.

Highlights:

Abitibi-Consolidated mill in Kenora permanently shut down.
Down time at Abitibi-Consolidated in Fort Frances.
Weyerhaeuser Dryden to close wood room and shut down one paper machine.
Saw mill expansion planned for Kenora Forest Products.
Fibratech Manufacturing in Atikokan plans major expansion.
Placer Dome Inc. accepts takeover bid from Barrick Gold Corp.
Employment Insurance claims increase in the fourth quarter, but down year over year. Employment drops by more than 3% in Northwestern Ontario.

The complete Labour Market Bulletin, including these Highlights, is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, print version (size: 110 kb)

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