Labour Market Update - Northern Nova Scotia

November, 2009*

Overview

Data Tables: http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss05b-eng.htm

November is first month to show employment decline since April

•Employment in Northern Nova Scotia decreased in November. The job losses, however, are lower in number than the average November employment decline over the last 10 years.

•All net job losses this month have been full-time. The number of part-time jobs increased during November mitigating the overall employment decrease.

•The level of unemployment and the unemployment rate are both lower than they were in October because the labour force decreased by more than the employment decline.

•Northern Nova Scotia’s employment level is usually at its highest in August. This year, however, employment continued to increase with each month from March through to October. This appears to be from increased activity in both the Construction and Manufacturing industry groups.

•Employment is well below last November’s level, consequently there are more people unemployed this year. Last year saw some substantial job growth, though, and this November’s employment level is still above the average for that month over the last 10 years.

•The largest employment decline between this November and November 2008 and has been in the Trade industry group. There have also been job losses in Manufacturing, Public Administration and Agriculture over the last 12 months.

*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 – Northern Nova Scotia

Owned and operated by Shannex, Northumberland Hall is a new 45,000 square-foot nursing home complex being constructed on Willow Street in Amherst. The facility is scheduled to open in the winter of 2010 and when fully occupied will be home to 36 residents. This facility will employ as many as 60 to 70 full and part-time employees. Amherst Daily News, Nov. 19, 2009

Scotsburn Dairy Group, located in the Truro Industrial Park, is expanding its freezer capacity by 28,000 square feet. The project is valued at $5 million. Truro Daily News, Nov 04, 2009

RiverBreeze Farm in Onslow is closing the meat shop portion of its business on December 24th. The farm operates a corn maze and haunted attractions every fall, grows sweet corn and pumpkins, raises beef cattle and operates both a pumpkin and strawberry u-pick, and a roadside fruit and vegetable stand. Because the meat shop is closing , eight workers will be out of work. The Chronicle Herald, Nov 19, 2009

The Colchester Regional Development Agency (CORDA) is spending $110,000 to repair two of the three runways at the 920-hectare Debert Air Industrial Park’s adjacent airport. The agency is also buying a $57,000 jet-fuel storage tank that they hope will help attract corporate and leisure fliers to the area. The Chronicle Herald, Nov 3, 2009

Aecon Fabco was awarded a $4 million contract to dismantle two warships for the Department of Defence. Aecon will tow the ships to their Pictou location and dismantle them. The process will take about a year and provide 60 to 70 jobs. November 4, 2009, Chronicle Herald

On-Line Support (OLS) in Antigonish is hiring 100 workers for its new 'no phone' program. The additional employees will provide email support to customers. OLS say new staff will be hired and trained 25 at a time, the first group has begun their training, 25 more will start in November 2009, and two more groups will follow in 2010.

November 11, 2009 Antigonish Casket

A $3 million loan guarantee has been provided to Ligni Bel's Scotsburn mill from the N.S. government's Industrial Expansion Fund. The Pictou County lumber mill plans to reopen, it's been closed since Dec 2008 with about 70 workers on layoff. November 13, 2009 Various Sources

The Municipality of Pictou County awarded two tenders for wastewater projects. L&R Construction, Stewiacke will carry out the mechanical and electrical components of the Lyons Brook wastewater project at a cost of $766,135. C.J. MacLellan & Associates, Antigonish will do an engineering proposal for the Coalburn wastewater project at a cost of $375,741. November 17, 2009, The News

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

Kendall Mills

Labour Market Information Analyst

26 Prince Arthur Street

Amherst, Nova Scotia B4H 1V6