Labour Market Update - Northern Nova Scotia

October, 2009*

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

Employment and Labour Force Rise

• Employment rose for the sixth consecutive month in October 2009.  It still remains below 2008 levels.
• The increase in employment in October was due to higher part-time employment.  Full-time employment fell slightly during this period.
• Unemployment was higher in October 2009 than in the same month in the previous year, but it fell for the five previous months.  Like unemployment, the unemployment rate is high but declining. 
• The labour force participation rate is at its highest recorded level for October.  Counter to the typical seasonal pattern, the level of the labour force participation increased for the sixth straight month.
• Employment in Goods-Producing industries has been rising for the past six months.  Service-Producing employment fell in August and has remained flat for the past two months.

Teletech is growing despite worldwide economic troubles, announcing plans recently to hire about 120 customer service representatives by the end of the year at its Amherst operation. There are about 200 full- and part-time employees working at the customer service centre, located in the Amherst Town Square Mall on South Albion Street. Finding enough employees has long been a challenge for the company. Earlier this year, TeleTech was looking for up to 200 more employees and it has been aggressively advertising positions through the media and online at www.hirepoint.com.  Amherst Daily News, Oct 29, 2009

Vidabode, of Amherst, has announced it is laying off 16 of there 25 employees for a 90-day period because of a very tight global credit market. Vidabode has developed a new form of concrete called Vidacrete that is lighter than traditional concrete and is primarily used as cost-effective building panel system for residential projects. Current manufacturing license negotiations involve customers in central and western Canada as well as Angola, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Mexico and Iraq.   Amherst Daily News, Oct 20, 2009

Bell Aliant announced 11 of its 16 customer service centres, including both Truro and Amherst, are closing as the company introduces a new model of contact centre operations to be implemented by mid-April 2010. The 200 permanent, unionized employees that work in the 11 centres are being offered positions in larger centres. Of the 200 people, 103 are in Nova Scotia at the following locations: New Glasgow (47), Sydney (38), Truro (9), Amherst (5) and Bridgewater (4). The Department of Labour and Workforce Development is prepared to offer transition support, including access to education and training programs for the impacted employees. Amherst Daily News, Oct 19, 2009.

In October, the Chignecto Central Regional School Board posted 38 Educational Assistant positions on its website.  The jobs will first be offered to workers laid off at the end of the 2008-09 school year.  At that time, 65 assistants received notice of layoff; however, 23 workers were already recalled in September 2009. The News, October 08, 2009

The Stellarton Police Department is hiring two term police officers as the town force is currently short staffed. The News, October 16, 2009

Ligni Bel Ltd., Scotsburn, has been idle since December 2008 with about 70 workers laid off.  A planned restart of the lumber manufacturer began in October 2009 with a few employees; however, the reopening is now uncertain. According to the company, a $3 million loan from Economic and Rural Development pre-approved in August will not be issued after all.  The province has not confirmed this. Ligni Bel is currently under creditor protection. Chronicle Herald, October 20, 2009

Service Nova Scotia committed $1.535 million in funding to Antigonish's new library at 283 Main Street. The town and county councils will be contributing equally to the operational costs of the new facility. The Pictou Antigonish Regional Library is committed to its staffing, services, and management.  Antigonish Casket, October 14, 2009

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