Labour Market Monitor - Cape Breton
September 2010
This is an overview of the Cape Breton Region which includes Cape Breton, Inverness, Richmond and Victoria Counties. The Labour Market Monitor is a monthly report providing information on labour market developments for specific regions within the province.
Labour Force Trends
The labour market in Cape Breton grew from September 2009 to September 2010. The labour force increased by 3,800 on a year-over-year basis. Employment increased by 2,200 over the same period. The increase in employment was split between full and part time jobs. With the increase in the labour force outpacing the rise in employment, the level of unemployment rose from September 2009 to September 2010. The unemployment rate now stands at 15.0 percent, up from 13.5 percent last year.
For more information, please visit the Statistics Canada website at: www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss05b-eng.htm
| Cape Breton | September | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region: 210 | 2009 | 2010 | Change |
| Labour Force (000) | 68.8 | 65.0 | 3.8 |
| Employed (000) | 58.5 | 56.3 | 2.2 |
| Full Time | 48.9 | 48.0 | 0.9 |
| Part Time | 9.6 | 8.3 | 1.3 |
| Unemployed (000) | 10.3 | 8.8 | 1.5 |
| Participation Rate (%) | 60.3 | 56.6 | 3.7 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 15.0 | 13.5 | 1.5 |
| Data is 3 month moving average from the Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada | |||
Labour Market News by Industry
Construction
A new $15 million Hampton Inn hotel will be built in Membertou. The 124 room Membertou Hampton Inn is expected to attract mid size conventions to the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, to which it will be attached by a pedway. The rooms in the hotel will be mini suites with sinks, microwaves and refrigerators. The hotel expects to hire approximately 50 people this fall, ranging from managers to housekeeping and sales staff. The new hotel is expected to be open for business in the fall of 2011. Cape Breton Post, September 21, 2010.
Retail Trade
The Arichat Co-op has applied to rezone a portion of land to enable an expansion of the facility. If approved, the co-op store on High Road in Arichat intends to double in size, and would potentially include new food preparation areas, a gas bar in front of the store, and possibly a new location for the community's Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation outlet. The municipal zoning hearing is scheduled for October 12, 2010. Port Hawkesbury Reporter, September 29, 2010
Tourism
There are expected to be 42 cruise ship visits to the Port of Sydney this year, and 31 are scheduled to occur during the remainder of the season with the last cruise ship visiting on October 25. Approximately 79,000 passengers and 35,000 crew members will be involved in visits to the Port of Sydney this season. Cape Breton Post, September 7, 2010
Health Care
The hiring process is underway for the 39 bed expansion to the Northside Community Guest home. The expansion will mean about 80 new staff, bringing the total number of workers (full time and part time) to approximately 330. Most of the new positions are continuing care assistants, but will also include a full time occupational therapist and physiotherapist. Cape Breton Post, September 8, 2010
Education
Teachers and teacher's aides with the Eskasoni School Board signed their first collective agreement. The unionized staff at the school are now members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The agreement covers approximately 80 teachers and teacher's aides. In addition to wage increases, contract terms include hiring provisions giving preference to qualified Eskasoni band members and other First Nations candidates before recruiting from outside. Cape Breton Post, September 29, 2010
Education
The newly released Report on The University System in Nova Scotia cites declining enrollments as one of the reasons tuition increases are an option for dealing with fiscal challenges to the provinces universities. The report includes Statistics Canada projections of declining enrollments in the future. The number of Nova Scotians aged 17-29, who make up the bulk of the university student population, will shrink by 11,000 in the next five years and by 25 percent by 2030. The report also recommends that The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Mount Saint Vincent University and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College consider a merger or affiliation with a larger university. Tuition has been frozen in Nova Scotia for three years, but the average undergraduate tuition of $5,495 is still the third highest in Canada behind Ontario and New Brunswick. Chronicle Herald, September 17, 2010
Note: In preparing this document, Service Canada has taken care to provide clients with labour market information from reliable sources that is timely and accurate at the time of publication. Since labour market conditions are dynamic, some of the information presented here may have changed since this document was published. Users are encouraged to also refer to other sources for additional information on the local economy and labour market. Information contained in this document does not necessarily reflect official policies of Service Canada.For more information contact: ns-info-ne@servicecanada.gc.ca or visit our website at www.labourmarketinformation.ca