pandemic Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie

Jobless rate drops without job gains

by WPBGE | Feb 8, 2022 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

January 2022 employment numbers for Brantford showed the unemployment plunged, but it was due to people leaving the labour force, not job gains.

The local unemployment rate for January was 6.5%, down from 7.6% in December, based on a survey conducted by Statistics Canada during the week of Jan. 9 to 15, soon after Ontario started a lockdown designed to lessen the impact of the Omicron virus.

Canada’s unemployment rate edged up to 6.5% in January, after employment fell by 200,000, attributed to lockdowns in several provinces that especially impacted women and youth working part time in service-related jobs. Ontario was the hardest hit province, losing 146,000 positions, causing the unemployment rate to jump to 7.3%.

“At first glance, it appears that the Brantford area bucked the trend and employment held steady despite the lockdown,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director. “However, other job numbers suggest more people have left the labour market, which may be concerning.”

Statistics Canada also collects data on the number of people “not in the labour force.” This includes people who are neither employed nor actively looking for work, such as retirees, students and caregivers.

January 2022 employment numbers showed an estimated 41,500 area residents aged 15 and over not in the labour force, the highest level in 20 months since May 2020, during the pandemic’s first wave. The largest increase in this category is among women in the 65+ age group, some of whom may have worked part time previously.

“Women and students who might typically work part time in service jobs in food and retail may have become especially discouraged by all the disruptions, the ups and downs, caused by the pandemic,” Dalton said. “Some of those workers may return to the labour market once things stabilize.”

Others may have chosen to go back to school to retrain for different careers, looking for more stability in their work lives and better pay, she added.

During January, there were about 3,000 job postings on Grand Erie Jobs, the region’s largest job board, which is operated by the Workforce Planning Board. The number had dipped in December after surpassing 3,200 a month last fall.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read its news release on January 2022 employment in Canada and Ontario.

Jobless rate drops in Brantford & Norfolk

by WPBGE | Jan 11, 2022 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

December 2021 employment numbers saw the Brantford area jobless rate drop after a short-term jump the month before.

Brantford’s unemployment rate last month was 7.2%, down from November’s 7.6% but identical to October’s figure, according to results of a Statistics Canada survey conducted Dec. 5 to 11.

November’s unemployment figure had jumped after 500 people joined the labour force, only some of whom found work. The same number of people left the labour force in December, resulting in numbers stabilizing.

In Norfolk, the jobless rate fell over the last 3 months to 7.8%, even though overall employment dipped.

Employment rose by 55,000 across Canada in December, resulting in a drop in the monthly national unemployment rate to 5.9%. Ontario saw the bulk of the job gains and its monthly rate fell to 6% – the lowest since February 2020, pre-pandemic.

“The number of employed people in the Brantford area has been fairly consistent over the last six months,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director. “This coincides with a period of stability with the pandemic and few restrictions on businesses.”

Dalton said it will be interesting to see what impact restrictions re-applied in January will have on job numbers. “If we can get the latest pandemic wave under control, affects on the labour force will hopefully be minor and short lived,” she said.

December 2021 employment data shows that full-time employment increased for Brantford residents in the 25 to 44 age group, with the gains shared between men and women. Meanwhile, fewer men and women in the 45+ age group worked in December. Since December 2020, the 45+ age group has seen the largest increase in full time employment.

Employment grew in retail in December, in line with the holiday shopping season. This helped offset a drop in the number of people working in manufacturing, an industry that has seen several months of employment declines.

There were about 2,400 new job postings in December on Grand Erie Jobs, the Workforce Planning Board’s community job board. That was down from about 3,200 in November.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read its news release on November 2021 employment in Canada and Ontario.

Happy New Year 2022 from WPBGE

by WPBGE | Jan 5, 2022 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

From our Board of Directors and staff:

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie wishes everyone a happy and healthy New Year.

The year 2022 starts with a strong sense of déjà vu.

Resilience was a key buzz word last year and it will remain important again this year.

As we come up to 2 years of dealing with a global COVID-19 pandemic, we’ll need to be resilient as our communities continue progress towards a recovery.

Workers and businesses have adapted well to change, again and again, coping with the many ups and downs: lockdowns, new workplace safety rules, working from home, layoffs, and business closures.

Job market rebounds

Despite all the changes and challenges, the local economy and job market largely rebounded in 2021. Overall employment returned later in the year to pre-pandemic levels. Many businesses had trouble filling job openings. Labour shortages are expected to continue this year and beyond.

Some residents and businesses have yet to land firmly back on their feet. They will need additional support moving forward. Fortunately, our communities have lots of services that can help.

The Workforce Planning Board looks forward to continuing to serve the communities of Brantford, Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk.

Our goal, as always, is to help individuals, businesses and our communities to thrive. Our vision for this year and for the future is to help build a “skilled, resilient workforce contributing to dynamic communities.”

2021 highlights

During 2021, we’re proud that several important community-building projects moved forward.

Highlights included:

Grand Erie Jobs: We expanded our popular jobs portal. We now have 8 tools to assist local job seekers and businesses. It is now easier for job seekers to find jobs, learn what occupations are in demand, and research businesses. We produced how-to videos demonstrating each of the tools. Visit Grand Erie Jobs and our YouTube channel.
Work-Life Balance Study: We heard from 500+ residents about their experiences trying to achieve a balance between their work and home lives. The study has given us insights into issues such as burnout, workplace stress, challenges working from home, and more. Our study contains a number of recommendations to improve things. See highlights from the study.
Workforce Strategy: We worked on a strategy that will help give youth the soft and hard skills that are needed for the future of work. The main goals are to educate parents, teachers and youth about local businesses and make them aware of available job opportunities and the skills needed for the future of work. Work continues on implementing this strategy in 2022.
Skills2Advance: We trained dozens of residents for new jobs and careers in manufacturing and warehousing, helping meet the strong demand from companies for Material Handlers. It’s satisfying to see Skills2Advance graduates achieving success. Visit Skills2Advance.
Marketing: We put extra emphasis on outreach and marketing, so that more people can know about the many resources and services we provide the community. We published stories and social media posts celebrating essential workers and interesting businesses.
Job fairs and recruitment: We worked with community partners and businesses on events that helped recruit new people.

We plan on an equally busy 2022.

Workforce Gateway

This month, we will be launching a new online tool called Workforce Gateway. It is a one-stop source for information about workforce, business, education and community services. Users will be able to access information about services near them by answering a few simple questions.

There will be helpful information about dozens of subjects, such as:

Where to find an employment counsellor that can help with a job search or career planning
Where to find information about government loans and grants to start or grow a businesses
Where to find transit routes, schools or daycares in relation to the location of jobs
Where to look for financial assistance to help pay for college or university
Where individuals and businesses can find information about apprenticeships and skilled trades

We look forward in 2022 to using our expertise and energy to build a stronger community that benefits all.

Workforce Series – Interview with Gordon

by WPBGE | Dec 7, 2021 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

In our Workforce Series, where we share stories from local people who work in some of our region’s most important industries, we talk to Gordon Bouchard who recently took part in the Welding Training program through the Ogwehoweh Skills and Trades Training Centre (OSTTC).

OSTTC is a community owned Indigenous training and post-secondary institute that serves The Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and surrounding communities and runs various skills training, professional development and trades programs. It is owned and operated under Grand River Employment Training Inc. and is located in the village of Ohsweken.

Gordon now works as a welder for Walters Group in Princeton. Walters is a family owned steel construction company that designs, fabricates, and constructs commercial and industrial projects throughout North America. They often recruit for various opportunities on their Careers Page.

In our feature, Gordon talks about the high demand for welders, switching careers to secure his future and career options, his passion for his new role and the satisfaction he gets from feeling he is making a contribution to society through his work.

Watch our interview with Gordon here: https://youtu.be/ePqp-1cLU4M

Some additional highlights from Gordon:

“I knew there was a demand for the skilled trades and welding but I had no idea just how big it was, there are literally jobs everywhere. I had my own business for 20 years that was affected by the pandemic and going into welding was not only to create job security and provide for my family, it was coming full circle. I was considering becoming an auto mechanic when I was young, my father and grandfather were millwrights so I have those roots. It’s come full circle now with going into a second career doing something I enjoy, that mentally stimulates me and that I expect to do until I retire”

“The OSTTC program was great – during the 8-week program I attained 5 welding certificates and had the qualifications to get my foot in the door after completing the program.

“My work with Walters has allowed me to be part of exciting projects. Additionally, I recently worked on a pavilion that is being donated back to the local community and I look forward to taking my kids to see it when it is installed it the spring”

On advice to young people – be flexible – when you are young and not tied down and you want to get ahead and make as much money as possible, take the different shifts and work your way in…it may be tough for a few years but then you will get to pick and choose more of what fits your life and home situation when you are older”

“My long-term goal is to get into quality control/inspection in another 10 years after getting all the tickets and training to get me there – and by then expertise in the field under my belt”

Thank you to Gordon for sharing his story with us! Looking to explore a career or find a job? Check out Grand Erie Jobs – the biggest career and job site in our region!

Brantford jobless rate edges up, but stays low

by WPBGE | Oct 8, 2021 | Press Release

September 2021 employment numbers for Brantford saw the jobless rate edge up, but it is still one of the lowest in Ontario.

September’s local unemployment rate was 6.1%, up from 5.7% in August but matching July’s figure, according to seasonally adjusted estimates released by Statistics Canada on Friday.

Norfolk County’s jobless rate for the last three months averaged 7.7%, though figures for September suggest unemployment has climbed due to a drop in part-time work, possibly related to summer jobs.

Across Canada, employment grew by 157,000 jobs in September, dropping the national monthly jobless rate to 6.9%. Ontario accounted for almost half of the job gains and the provincial jobless rate fell for the fourth straight month to 7.3%. All figures are based on a Labour Force Survey conducted by Statistics Canada the week of Sept. 12 – 18.

In Southern Ontario, only Guelph at 6% has a lower jobless rate than Brantford. Hamilton is close at 6.3%, while Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo is next at 7.2%, London 7.3% and St. Catharines-Niagara 8.2%.

“It is good to see Brantford has one of the lowest unemployment rates, but there’s still more work to do to recover from the pandemic and grow the local economy,” said Danette Dalton, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.

“There are still people struggling to find the right fit in a job and there are still businesses that are struggling to find staff.”

Dalton said many businesses are experiencing a competitive job market, with high demand for service industry occupations in particular. There were more than 2,800 new jobs posted in September on Grand Erie Jobs, the job board operated by the Workforce Planning Board.

Almost 40 area businesses looking to hire are participating in a 3-day virtual job fair, Oct. 19 – 21, organized by St. Leonard’s Community Services. People can contact St. Leonard’s for more information.

In Brantford, the September employment numbers tell a different story depending on age group and sex of workers.

Youth aged 15 to 24 have seen the largest job gains over the last few months, with females benefiting more. By contrast, employment has fallen in the core working age group of 25 to 54, with the majority of the losses affecting men. Employment has grown for men aged 55 and over, but has stayed the same for women.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read its news release on September 2021 employment in Canada and Ontario.

Jobless rate drops without job gains

Jobless rate drops in Brantford & Norfolk