Labour Market Monitor - Northern Nova Scotia
November 2010
This is an overview of the Northern Region which includes Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough 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 force in Northern Nova Scotia fell by 2,400 on a year over year basis, and employment dropped by 1,800. The employment decrease was fairly evenly split between full and part time jobs. With the labour force decreasing faster than employment, the level of unemployment dropped in the region. The unemployment rate declined slightly from 10.1 percent in November 2009 to 9.8 percent in November 2010.
For more information, please visit the Statistics Canada website at: www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss05b-eng.htm
| Northern NS | November | |
|---|---|---|
| Region: 220 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Labour Force (000) | 81.2 | 78.8 |
| Employed (000) | 73.0 | 71.2 |
| Full Time | 59.7 | 58.9 |
| Part Time | 13.3 | 12.3 |
| Unemployed (000) | 8.2 | 7.7 |
| Participation Rate (%) | 61.8 | 60.0 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 10.1 | 9.8 |
| Data is 3 month moving average from the Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada | ||
Labour Market News by Industry
Education Services
Local 88 of the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union (NSGEU) have their first contract with St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish. The one hundred and thirty-four workers provide administration, clerical, technical and library services. The two-year deal includes a one percent wage increase each year along with a yearly $250 bonus. Antigonish Casket, November 3, 2010
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate & Leasing
Truro town council has approved a development agreement for the former St. Mary's elementary school. Meech Holdings Limited plans to convert the former King Street School into a 26-unit apartment building. Truro Daily News, November 2, 2010
Manufacturing
DSME Trenton is currently accepting resumes from trade workers, health & safety personnel, marketing and sales. The Pictou County company currently employs thirty-three workers while retro-fitting its plant for wind turbine & blade manufacturing. Actual production is planned for May 2011. Pictou Advocate, November 17, 2010
The Groupe Savoie sawmill in Westville announced it will lay off about forty workers on December 10, 2010. An unstable supply of hardwood logs and lower orders from the United Statues are being blamed for the closure. The Pictou County sawmill is fed primarily with wood from privately-owned lots. Groupe Savoie say they hope to re-open in the spring, if conditions improve. The News, November 23, 2010
Twenty-five new jobs will be created by the end of March 2011, when IMP closes a machining shop in Dartmouth. The move will bring IMP Areospace's workforce at the Amherst operation to about 350. Forty-five percent of the work at the Amherst plant is military in nature and the jobs created will be among the higher paying ones in the plant. Amherst Daily News, November 2, 2010
Public Administration
The Town of Pictou will allow twelve former unionized Hector Heritage Quay employees to join its public works department. Employees were without work in 2010 because the Town did not open the Quay or the Ship Hector due to finances. The Hector Heritage Society has since taken over the site but do not expect to offer employment in the near future. The employees will be placed on the public work list for available openings. The News, November 24, 2010
Pictou County will be the site of a new 100-cell corrections facility in the Thorburn/Coalburn area off 104 highway. The new provincial jail will replace two aging facilities in Antigonish and Amherst at a cost of $31 million. Staffing is expected to be at about 100 workers some of whom will come from the two closing facilities in Antigonish and Amherst. Various Sources, November 2010
Trade, Wholesale & Retail
Aaron's will open in the former Wacky Wheatley's location on Robie Street. Aaron's sells a variety of items, including furniture, appliances and electronics. The company will employ five full-time people at its Truro franchise. Truro Daily News, November 3, 2010
Sport Chek will be opening in a renovated 10,000-square-foot site that used to be home to the Head Shoppe, Maritime Travel and Bentley. All three stores have moved to new locations in the Truro mall. The sporting goods and apparel store will be an anchor store for the mall along with Zellers, Sears, Dollarama and Mark's Work Warehouse. It will employee 26 people in full- and part-time positions. Truro Daily News, November 3, 2010
The Mill Beverage Room on Robie Street in Truro is undergoing major renovations with a new owner. The changes will provide a steak house atmosphere while retaining the Saturday night entertainment and a country dance bar. No completion date was noted but it will be renamed Champions Bar and Grill and remain open during the renovations. Truro Daily News, November 18, 2010
Utilities
The Nova Scotia Utility & Review Board gave approval to Nova Scotia Power and NewPage, Port Hawkesbury for their biomass co-generation facility to be built at NewPage's paper mill. The $208 million project is expected to create 150 jobs in the forestry sector of Northern Nova Scotia. Construction is supposed to involve 50 person years of employment. The completion date is scheduled for 2013; planning, engineering and procurement work is already underway. Guysborough Journal, November 3, 2010
As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Clean Energy Fund is investing $795 million over five years in clean energy technology, development and demonstration. Some $25 million was recently committed to the Bay of Fundy tidal energy project by the federal and provincial governments. Four undersea power cables will be installed next year directly off-shore from the Fundy Ocean Resource Centre for Energy, which is 10 km west of Parrsboro, and each cable will carry 16 megawatts of power, for a total of 64 megawatts. The cables will deliver enough electricity to power more than 20,000 homes. Springhill Record, November 20, 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 please contact your local Labour Market Information Analyst
for Cumberland / Colchester: ken.mills@servicecanada.gc.ca
for Pictou, Antigonish, Guysborough : diane.tibbo@servicecanada.gc.ca
or visit our website at: www.labourmarketinformation.ca