Labour Market Update - Cape Breton
November, 2009*
Overview
Data tables: http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss05b-eng.htm
November’s job losses are lower than historical declines for the month
•Employment has decreased each month since August when it reached the highest level for the year. All of the employment losses since August have been full-time; part-time jobs have increased in number.
•Declining employment is typical for this time of year, although this month’s employment decline in Cape Breton is less than the November average for the last ten years.
•A decline in employment was matched by a corresponding drop in the region's labour force, which resulted in a marginal increase in the unemployment rate. Unemployment remained unchanged from the previous month.
•This month’s employment level is below that of last November which was the highest of any November since 1987. The labour force and the working age population have decreased since last November as well.
•The employment decline over the last 12 months has occurred mostly within the Goods sector; in Construction, Manufacturing and the Primary industry group. The Service Sector saw the greatest employment declines in Trade and Educational Services. Gains in Health Care and Transportation & Warehousing employment kept the overall decline in the sector at a minimum.
*This report is an analysis of three month moving average data from Statistics Canada’s monthly Labour Force Survey. The reader should be cautioned that because of relatively small sample sizes in subprovincial regions, data reliability may be an issue.
In the News – Cape Breton
The province has given NewPage Port Hawkesbury its approval to sell timber harvested on Crown land to a proposed biomass-fuelled generating facility. The proposed biomass project will involve installing a steam turbine at NewPage’s Point Tupper site, which would generate about 60 megawatts of electrical generating capacity a year. Strait Bio-Gen would sell the energy to Nova Scotia Power. Cape Breton Post, November 4, 2009
The Port of Sydney is seeking requests for proposals to dredge the 8.5 kilometre harbour entrance channel to a depth of 17 metres. The deeper channel will open Sydney harbour to deeper draft vessels and set the stage for the development of a possible container terminal. A contract is expected to be awarded toward the end of the first quarter of 2010, and dredging would likely be completed before the end of 2010. Cape Breton Post, November 13, 2009.
Classic Frozen Foods is expected to open for business in December 2009 at the Sydport Industrial Park in Point Edward. The company will produce frozen uncooked cookies and muffins, as well as cooked cheesecakes. The target market includes grocery stores, restaurants and institutions such as nursing homes. The company expects to employ seven to ten people when operations begin. Cape Breton Post, November 13, 2009.
The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy opened October 21, 2009 in the Island Gateway Plaza in Port Hawkesbury. In addition to the owner/pharmacist, the business employs a pharmacy technician and two part time employees.
Port Hawkesbury Reporter, November 18, 2009.
PostNet opened an outlet at the Bell Plaza in Sydney on November 20, 2009.
Cape Breton Post, November 20, 2009.
Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow's Health opened a new assessment centre in Sydney on November 19, 2009. The centre is part of the largest cancer study ever to take place in Canada, and will collect samples and personal, medical and employment histories from study participants. The centre will operate until the spring of 2010.
Cape Breton Post, November 18,2009.
East Coast Credit Union will close its branch locations in North Isle Madame and North East Margaree as part of a restructuring plan to respond to the economic downturn and current business conditions. The branches will close in February 2010 and will affect six full time employees. Cape Breton Post, November 25, 2009.
The Bargain Shop in Bras d'Or will be closed early in 2010, affecting approximately 12 employees. Cape Breton Post, November 28, 2009.
For more information please contact . . .
Gary Hartlin
Economist
99 Wyse Road, P.O. Box 1350
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4B9
(902) 426-5561
E-Mail: gary.hartlin@servicecanada.gc.ca
Web Site: www.labourmarketinformation.ca
Labour Market Information Unit
Cape Breton Network
15 Dorchester Street
Sydney, Nova Scotia
(902) 564-7238
E-mail: ns-info-ne@servicecanada.gc.ca
Web site: www.labourmarketinformation.ca