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       Sudbury Labour Market Information Newsletter - January 1997 Prepared By Marilyn Prus, Unemployment Statistics Sudbury’s unemployment rate (three month averaging) in January 1997 was 9.6%, up .6% from the previous month and up .1% from January 1996. Seven of the eight industrial sectors experienced job losses this month ranging from .9% in manufacturing to 7% in construction. The finance, insurance and real estate sector held it’s own. These statistics indicate that the economy is weakening in Sudbury. According to rank, the Sudbury Census Metropolitan Area had the second highest unemployment rate among all urban areas with St. Catherines holding the number one position at 10.0%. The lowest unemployment rate was held by Hamilton at 7.0%. (Northern Ontario Regional Economist) There was a very slight increase (8) in the total number of active employment insurance claims from January 1996 to January of 1997. As of January 26, 1997, there were 9232 active claims whereas on January 26, 1996 there were 9,224 people in receipt of benefits. There was however, a significant drop in the number of employment insurance claims from December 1996 to January, 1997. At the end of December, 1996, there were 8,739 active claims compared to the 9,232 reported for January, 1997 (an increase of 493). (Established Claims Analysis) A breakdown of the above statistics are as follows: Effective January 26, 1996 Sudbury: 7,729 Sudbury: 7957 Espanola: 1,495 Espanola: 1275 Total: 9,224 Total: 9232 The economic indicators suggest that the economy in Sudbury is not improving and this is confirmed by the fact that both the unemployment rate as well as the number of active employment insurance claims are on the rise. The economist’s office also reported this month that approximately 1,000 people have left the labour force and are no longer actively seeking employment. Bits and Pieces Young men make up large part of Sudbury’s welfare caseload-Young men without a high school diploma or any skills are most likely to be on the welfare roles according to the Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board. The majority of "employable" welfare recipients (72%) are young males, 36% are less than 24 years of age and 60% are under 30. The statistics available show that 44% of the total employable caseload does not have a high school diploma while 5% have no high school education at all. Those with post secondary education total 21%. During the month of December, 11,118 people in this district received welfare. Of those, 4,444 are classified as employable. Seventy-five per cent of the employable caseload are classified as "unskilled" while the other 25% have skills related to the service and construction industries. (Sudbury Star, January 17, 1997) Women take laborious road to work for pay- In 1901, 16% of women over the age of 13 were engaged in the work force compared to 88% of men, according to the census of that year. By 1921, 2.2% of married women were working for money. However, by 1995, 57.4% of all Canadian women were in the labour force (either employed or seeking employment) compared to 72.5% of men. Among married women in their prime child-bearing years (25-44), fully 77% were in the work force. According to a report compiled in 1900 by the National Council of Women of Canada, a married woman needed proof of her husband’s consent to allow her to be paid. As well, in most jurisdictions in Canada, a married woman needed her husband’s consent to work outside the home. Not only were women restricted from a huge range of vocations, but in Prince Edward Island, women were not allowed to collect their own wages unless separated. Women did get the vote in 1918 in Canada. (Globe and Mail, January 2, 1997) Harris leads 160 in Ontario business group- Premier Mike Harris visited Asia this month as head of a group of 160 Ontario business people to sell everything from complex nuclear reactors to simple wood frame houses. The purpose of this venture is to increase markets and thus create jobs for Ontarians. In keeping with the continued trend in economic globalization, "Team Canada" visited Seoul, South Korea, Manila, Philippines and Bangkok, Thailand. (Toronto Star, Jan. 8,’97) "Compressed" week stressful, study says- The compressed work week-designed to help stressed-out working families cope- is making life worse. According to an analysis in StatsCan’s Canadian Social Trends, 29% of women working a compressed week report being "highly time stressed" compared with 21% of those working a regular week. The comparable statistics for men were 16% and 15% respectively. The reason for this gender difference? Women still do most of the cooking, child care and household chores that are not easily rescheduled or delayed and they are expected to do more on their days off. (Toronto Star, January 8, 1997) In addition, The Globe and Mail reported on the same day that the proportion of women who were highly stressed increased in a straight line as women’s home responsibilities increased, rising from 16% for unmarried women to 25% for married, childless women to 33% for married women with children. The writer did notice however, that there was no mention of stress levels for single women with children and working a compressed work week. One can only surmise that the stress levels must be exorbitant. More workers take time off for family, study says- Statistics Canada figures show that time taken off for personal or family reasons is going up, while time off for illness or disability has remain relatively steady during the past 15 years. In 1995, the average full-time worker took 5.9 days off for disability or illness, versus 6.7 in 1980. The same worker took 3.2 days off for personal or family reasons in 1995 compared with 1.5 days in 1980. Ernest Akyeampon of Statistics Canada attributes the increase in days off for personal or family reasons is in part because more women, who are the primary care givers, are participating in the labour force. ( Toronto Star, Jan. 29, ‘97) Although the writer does not disagree with Mr. Akeampong’s analysis, it appears to me that he has not taken into consideration that the working population, as a whole, is aging. Having said that, could it be that it is not just working women but also working men that are requesting family related leave and not to care for children, but rather to care for aging parents? Using my work environment as an example, it is a common occurrence to find co-workers absent from the office to deal with issues such as a parent in hospital requiring care, a parent needing to be admitted to an old age home or nursing home, a parent requiring care in the home after an illness, etc. It seems to be a popular practice among many analysts these days to "blame" any negative statistical data on the working woman. Developmentally disabled get extra $15 million for care- Social Services Minister Janet Ecker announced that developmentally disabled adults, children and their families will receive an extra $15 million to help pay for their care. Rather than putting more money into agencies, this funding is designed for the needs of each individual case. Sid Ryan, Ontario president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, criticized the government for not using some of this money to end the seven-week old strike at the Metro Toronto Association for Community Living. (Toronto Star, Jan10’97) Unskilled lose jobs to computers- The spread of computers in the Canadian workplace is wiping out job opportunities for unskilled workers. Computers have created more jobs than they have destroyed, but employers have used computer-based technology to eliminate unskilled jobs but have not given unskilled workers the training they would need to move up into the new high-skilled jobs, says a report published by Canadian Policy Research Networks Inc. Instead, the unskilled are being sloughed off to other industry sectors that continue to employ large percentages of low-skilled and often low-wage workers. (Globe and Mail, January 15, 1997) Female dropouts face high jobless rate- A federal government study that tracked high school dropouts between 1991 and 1995 found female "school leavers" had an unemployment rate of 30% while males without a high school diploma had an unemployment rate of 17%. However, researchers did find that one-quarter of the dropouts returned to school and completed their diplomas during the intervening four year period. This means that an estimated 85% of Canadians complete their high school diploma by the time they reach the age of 24. ( Sudbury Star, January 28, 1997) Mining Firm to build open pit- Echo Bay Mines, one of North America’s largest gold and silver producers, plans to hire 200 workers in the Timmins area. It is expected that the mine will produce an average of 166,000 pounds of gold annually. The company will be building a mill to process the anticipated 7,500 metric tonnes of ore per day. It is anticipated that the mine will be in commercial production in early 1999. (Sudbury Star, January 19, 1997) North Bay company nets big contract- As part of the Team Canada trade mission, JKS Boyles International of North Bay has entered into a $1 million contract with Philex Mining Co. of Manila, Philippines to provide drilling equipment. "There is a lot of interest in Canadian Mining expertise. Canadians do it better than anyone else in the world," said Bob Parsons, the president of the Philippine company. (Sudbury Star , January 20, 1997) The term "globalization" is one that is often used in conjunction with today’s economy, and perhaps, a term that is not completely understood by most people. The above excerpt from the Sudbury Star , to me, epitomizes globalization. If the north is to continue to survive, and even ultimately thrive in the next decade, it will be through the types of ventures described above. As residents of Northern Ontario, it should make us truly proud that our mining heritage is recognized throughout the world. Construction Gore Bay Medical Centre set to expand in 1997- The medical centre in Gore Bay will undergo an expansion to allow for better patient care. No additional exterior construction will take place, however, once the ambulance and crew are relocated to their new facility, renovations will begin to the present structure’s interior. (Manitoulin Expositor , December 23, 1996) Housing starts jump in Ontario- New home construction in Ontario hit a three year in December 1996 and builders are predicting that the first half of 1997 will see this trend continue. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reported that housing starts in Ontario jumped 16% in December. The combination of more people, very low mortgage rates and falling housing prices during the 90’s have created the necessary environment for growth. (Globe and Mail, January 10, 1997) Construction up in Sudbury- During the month of December, there were 38 new housing units started in the Sudbury area, up 14 units or 58% from December 1995. For the entire year, new-home starts totaled 346 units, up 10 units, or 3% from 1995. (Sudbury Star, January 13, 1997) New building planned at Cambrian college- NORCAT, the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology, hopes to move into a new $3 million building to be built onto the southwest corner of Cambrian College. This venture has been made possible by a $3 million performance loan from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund that was announced in December. The 32,000 square foot facility will go up for tender in January 1997. Darryl Lake, CEO for NORCAT is pushing for a completion date of late 1997 although the architect for the project, Rick Yallowega of the Sudbury firm Nichols (Sudbury Star, January 12, 1997). Lay-Offs Reductions in school boards, trustees expected next week- Legislation reducing the number of Ontario school boards and trustees will be introduced in the month of January as part of the government’s restructuring of the educational system. Premier Mike Harris said that the positions of many trustees, the elected officials who oversee the primary and secondary educational systems on behalf of taxpayers, will be eliminated as part of the school system reform. (Globe and Mail, January 7,, 1997) Environment under the axe-The Ontario Government is poised to axe 186 environmental inspectors, investigators, pesticide monitors and other workers at the Ministry of Environment and Energy. In addition, 117 managers will be given pink slips in one of the biggest mass lay-offs in the government’s current round of cuts. This ministry has been targeted for some of the biggest cuts of any department. It’s budget has been reduced by 37% and it is expected that 31% of it’s staff will be eliminated. (Globe and Mail, January 9, 1997) One MTO position lost- One position has been eliminated from the Sudbury Ministry of Transportation operations. The position eliminated is responsible for the west end, the north (Cartier) and north along HWY. 17 through the Espanola area. ( Mid-North Monitor, December 23, 1996) New Businesses Toast a new concept in eating- Toast, a new concept in eating, will open in early April in conjunction with a Swiss Chalet in the south end. Toast is geared for the younger crowd, 20 to 35 years of age who don’t have time to sit and eat. This operation will be the second of it’s kind in Canada. The combined restaurants are expected to have a staff of 50 part time and full time employees. (Sudbury Star, January 15, 1997) On the Down Side Longer work week urged- A committee comprised of 11 progressive Conservative MPP’s have proposed that the work week be lengthened to 50 hours or 200 hours of work over a four week period, from 48 hours a week. (Globe and Mail, January 23, 1997) On the Bright Side Jobless rate expected to drop to 9% this year, economists say- Several economists predict that record low interest rates should herald a decline in the unemployment rate. Continued growth in the economy should add 350,000 jobs, pushing the national unemployment rate to about 9% from it’s current level of 10% says Joshua Mendelsohn, chief economist at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. He also predicted an end to public sector cutbacks and continued private sector growth. (Toronto Star, January 7, 1997) Chamber to launch "buy local" campaign- Shop In Sudbury till you drop is what local businesses are trying to promote. When you help a local retailer, you are helping the workers who work there. In a few weeks the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce will launch a "shop local" campaign as a reminder to the public that spending dollars in the region is crucial to the area’s economy. It is estimated that as much as 20% of local dollars are being spent outside the region. (Sudbury Star, January 12, 1997) Convention bureau ready for a banner year in 1997- According to the Sudbury Convention and Visitors Services department, to date there are more than 40 major conventions and special events booked for Sudbury in the coming months. The 40 events should attract a total of 31,991 delegates and this figure does not include spouses, friends or children of the representatives. Assuming that each event lasts two days the delegates and visitors will spend more than $8.8 million during their visit to the city. The department is certainly generating a significant economic input into the community. (Sudbury Star, January 13, 1997) Trade mission to Voisey’s Bay draws local interest- On January 23, a delegation from Newfoundland will arrive in Sudbury to meet interested businesses and initiate a partnering process. By forging these partnerships, businesses will be able to cut costs, create employment and expand their businesses further afield than if they acted alone. (Sudbury Star, January 16, 1997) Sudbury has more than nickel that it can sell on the global market-we have gold as well. The gold, however is not in the ground, it is in the vast amount of knowledge directly related to the mining industry. The Sudbury business community has supplied Inco for several decades. They’ve grown with the company and continue to partner with the mining industry in innovative ways to meet the continued demands of an ever-changing as well as challenging technologically based industry. It is this type of ingenuity that will ensure the survival of Sudbury. Our hope for the economic future of this community, though, is not only that it "survive" but that it "thrives"! Alberta faces worker shortage- Contractors and industry in Alberta have begun developing plans to cope with a potential shortage of workers as the construction industry prepares for economic good times not seen since the early 1980’s. In particular, hey want to persuade students in high school to consider a career in the construction industry. Many economic planners and industry leaders are forecasting a shortage of workers if as Premier Kein’s predictions that the Alberta economy will create 155,000 jobs over the next three to five years are correct. Some of the major projects slated to begin this year are a new $825 million ethylene plant near Joffre and a $600 million project at Suncor in Fort McMurray. (Globe and Mail, January 20, 1997) Centre takes mining ideas to the next step- The Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT), located at Cambrian College is a creative partnership between government and industry. The centre received Ontario government funding to get established in the summer of 1995. However, it’s annual budget of more than $2 million is funded by the private sector. NORCAT takes existing knowledge and research, applies it to an idea, develops a prototype and tests it. About 75% of the concepts they have tackled concern the mining industry. Darryl Lake, executive director and chief executive officer for the centre, estimates that approximately six jobs have been created through companies taking successful prototypes and starting production. (Sudbury Star, January 19, 1997) Third Millennium receives grant- The Third Millennium, a resource centre for youth, located in the City Centre, will receive a $105,000 grant from the Trillium Foundation. The money will span a two year period and will assist the centre to become operational on a full time basis. The YMCA- Employment Services will take on the role of lead administrative agency in conjunction with the Social Planning Council. (Sudbury Star, January 21, 1997) Retail sales climb 0.9% in November- Spending on such big-ticket items such as cars, appliances and furniture in November pushed up retail sales by 0.9% to $18.4 billion, reported Statistics Canada. It was the second consecutive month of healthy consumer activity, following a gain of 1.3% in October. (Globe and Mail, January 22, 1997) Highlights from the Human Resource Centre Sudbury We celebrated the opening of our Resource Centre on January 30, 1997 with the help of our community partners and representatives of both the provincial and federal governments in attendance. A wide range of books, pamphlets and videos are available to all Canadian job seekers to assist them in their career planning and job search... and both official languages. Computers with the latest in software packages are housed in the facility for the job seeker who can compose their own resume and covering letter. This self help centre proudly boasts a connection to the Internet. If the opportunity arises, come and visit our centre. Editor's Notes The above exerpts have been taken from the following newspapers: The Sudbury Star, The Manitoulin Recorder, The Manitoulin Expositor, Northern Business, The Mid-North Monitor, The Northern Life, The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. A Message from the Human Resource CentreWe welcome your comments and feedback on an on-going basis. If you have any labour market information that you feel is important to share with your community partners, please contact our office and we will be pleased to include it in our next newsletter under the heading "Community Corner".
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