Labour Market Bulletin Thunder Bay

Labour Market Bulletin, Second Quarter 2006
An Analysis of the Thunder Bay Area Labour Market
Service Canada

An overview of the Thunder Bay Area Labour Market

There was good news and bad news for the labour markets of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario as summer approached.

Employment figures improved throughout the region. While unemployment rates increased from last quarter, this was due to people returning to the labour force. While this is to be expected over the summer months, it can be seen as a sign of some confidence in the labour market.

Even so, conditions remained significantly weaker compared to the same period last year.

Other indicators were also positive. EI claim load figures dropped to the same level as last year. Advertised opportunities provided the highest quarterly total in over two years.

The shadow of the forestry crisis continues to hang over the region. Talks continue on a number of fronts to save threatened mills, but no final outcomes have occurred to date.

EI claim load falls back in second quarter

At same level year over year

Opportunities continue to show improvement through second quarter of 2006

Third consecutive quarter of job growth.

In the Labour Force Survey:

• Positive signs in Thunder Bay
  

  Conditions weaker year over year

• Welcome job creation in the Northwest
  

  Still highest unemployment rate in Ontario

The complete Labour Market Bulletin, including these Highlights, is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, print version (size: 855 kb)

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