Labour Market Update - Halifax

August, 2009* 

Overview 

(Source: http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss05b-eng.htm)

High employment co-existing with high unemployment
  • •Employment is down slightly from July in Halifax.  A decrease in the number of part-time jobs greater than a gain in full-time positions brought about the overall employment decline.
  • •Despite the small decrease in August, Halifax is enjoying employment levels in 2009 higher than all previous years.   This is not evident in the August unemployment rate, however, which is higher than it’s been since March, 2009. 
  • •The number of unemployed in August hasn’t been this high since March, 2003.  The high unemployment number and the corresponding unemployment rate are because of record labour force numbers in the economic region. 
  • •Goods Sector employment improved from July but is down from last August.  The Construction industry is responsible for the monthly gain while employment declines from August, 2008 are attributed to Manufacturing and the Primary industries (Agriculture, Fishing, Forestry, Mining and Oil & Gas). 
  • •Service Sector employment is down from July but is up from last August.  The greatest gains from last year have been in Education and the Trade industry group; this despite an employment decline in Trade during the past month. 

 

*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 

Lockheed Martin Canada officially opened the Maritime Training and Testing Site - MATTS in the Highfield Industrial Park in Dartmouth. The MATTS centre will help support the company's role in fulfilling two long-term contracts related to the updating of Canada's 12 Halifax-class frigates and will enable collaboration with small businesses that want to gain access to military contracts. The Halifax Shipyard was awarded the $549 million contract to work on seven of the frigates. Construction of the $10-million structure began eight months ago and will employ about 150 people locally. (Various Sources - August 1, 2009)

 
Danish company - Aqualife Logistics, is ramping up its operations in Halifax to increase exports of live shellfish to European markets via marine freight. Aqualife is making Halifax its transportation hub and is working with a local trucking/logistics firm to either use existing infrastructure or erect its own facilities. (Chronicle Herald - August 26, 2009)
 
FedEx will lease nearly 9,400 square feet of a new 40,000-square-foot cargo facility being built at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.  The $15-million cargo facility is scheduled for completion in December 2009 or early 2010, and will allow FedEx to expand its space and enable them to eventually upgrade to larger aircraft. FedEx currently has 17 employees in Halifax. (Chronicle Herald - August 8, 2009)
 
The Nova Scotia Department of Immigration outlined a new option this month that will make it easier for younger immigrants to settle in the province. Candidates must be non-dependent children of immigrants already living in Nova Scotia, and economically established with the intention of staying in the province. Minimum levels of English or French, education and training will also be required. (Chronicle Herald - August 25, 2009)
 
According to the minister for Labour and Workforce Development, organizations that help unemployed or low-skilled workers may be eligible for funding from the provincial and federal governments. Last year, roughly 20,000 people benefited from these programs. (Chronicle Herald - August 11, 2009)
 
Many programs at the Nova Scotia Community College - NSCC are full or have waiting lists for this fall. Community colleges and technology institutes across the country are seeing a jump in registration by more than 10 percent. According to the president of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, workers displaced by the recession are seeking new careers.  (Chronicle Herald - August 8, 2009)
 
Two high profile stores opened in metro Halifax this month. The giant Swedish clothier H&M (  www.hm.com/ca/) opened shop at Mic Mac Mall, while upscale Italian shoe chain Geox (  www.geoxca.info) opened at Park Lane Mall in Halifax. (Chronicle Herald - August 8, 2009)
 
Frog Hollow Books, one of Halifax’s last remaining independent bookstores, closed on August 22nd. The owner cited increasing rent, the slumping economy, and increased competition locally and online as contributing factors to the store's demise. The Book Room, Canada's oldest independent book store, closed last year under similar circumstances. (Chronicle Herald - August 12, 2009)
 
According to Nova Scotia Business Inc.’s (NSBI) seventh annual report, job figures are down in 2008-09. NSBI’s clients committed to create up to 2,733 jobs in Nova Scotia within the next five years. In the previous year, NSBI’s clients created 4,303 jobs.
(Chronicle Herald - August 19, 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

 

Glenn Yetman

Labour Market Information Analyst

99 Wyse Road, P.O. Box 1350

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia         B2Y 4B9

(902) 426-9618

E-mail: glenn.yetman@servicecanada.gc.ca

Web site: www.labourmarketinformation.ca