Each year, as part of our Niagara Workforce Planning Board work, we publish Niagara’s Labour Market Report. In 2023, we observed labour force characteristics (such as employment and participation rates), what jobs Niagarans typically work in, population changes, income and education levels, and more!
See below for key insights:
The highest number of occupations in Niagara exist within:
– Sales & service (60,093)
– Trades, transport, equipment operators & related work (29,334)
– Business, finance & administration (29,255)
– Education, law & social, community & government services (22,560)
Our top industries by employment counts are: Wholesale and retail trade, Healthcare & Social Assistance, and Manufacturing.
The Conference Board of Canada states that an increase in demand in services and tourism will likely help Niagara avoid a major recession. This is despite being in a period of slower output growth. They predict healthier output growth by 2025 as inflation is starting to align with Bank of Canada’s inflation target. They expect that by 2025, spending will increase which should help employment recovery.
Niagara’s total population grew 6.7% between 2016 to 2021. The number of youth (aged 15-24) fell by 2.5%. This is consistent with the ongoing narrative that Niagara has a growing older population. Workforce strategies, such as job creation, are critical to retain and attract young people to Niagara region.
Approximately 83,005 immigrants live in Niagara. International migration was the main source of population growth in Niagara and this trend is expected to continue over the next five years.
Niagara Region conducts an annual employment inventory (NEI). The goal is to give a deep understanding of Niagara’s employment landscape. Since the last inventory in 2019, about 1,343 businesses were no longer operating, or were vacant. This included retail, accommodation and food services and health care and social services. In the same period 994 new businesses were noted. These included retail trade, accommodation and food services, and other services (except public administration).
Throughout the 2023-24 fiscal year, we engaged with interested parties such as:
– Employers
– The local Employment Ontario network, including employment services and adult learning organizations
– Municipal government and community agencies
Together, we’re working to address issues such as labour shortages, employee attraction and retention, work and wellness in the caring economy, and equitable employment for newcomers and immigrants.
For a deeper look into our findings and the work we’ve been doing at Workforce Collective, read the full report (available in English and French).
We are collecting data to better understand who is looking for work and what kind of opportunities jobseekers are searching for. This data is completely anonymous and non-personally identifiable.
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