Labour Market Monitor - Annapolis Valley NS
April 2011
This is an overview of the Annapolis Valley Region which includes Hants, Kings and Annapolis Counties. The Labour Market Monitor is a monthly report focusing on Labour Market Information.
Labour Force Trends
Employment fell by 1,900 in the Valley from April 2010 to April 2011. This reflected a decrease in full time employment of 3,200 which was only partially offset by an increase in part time work. Over the same period, the labour force decreased marginally. With employment falling faster than the labour force, the level of unemployment rose by 1,700 and the unemployment rate increased from 9.1 percent in April 2010 to 12.0 percent in April 2011. /p>
For more information, please visit the Statistics Canada website at: www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss05b-eng.htm
| Annapolis Valley | April | |
|---|---|---|
| Region: 230 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Labour Force (000) | 59.6 | 59.3 |
| Employed (000) | 54.1 | 52.2 |
| Full Time | 42.6 | 39.4 |
| Part Time | 11.6 | 12.8 |
| Unemployed (000) | 5.4 | 7.1 |
| Participation Rate (%) | 59.6 | 59.4 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 9.1 | 12.0 |
| Data is 3 month moving average from the Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada | ||
Labour Market News by Industry
Manufacturing
The Larsen's pork processing plant in Berwick will have a new life as a poultry operation come 2012, as Maple Leaf and Eden Valley Poultry announced on April 1st they'd reached a deal. Eden Valley is the processing company made up of 66 poultry farmers in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and Maple Lodge Holding Corporation. The partnership had intended to renovate its Eastern Protein plant in Kentville when word came in November Maple Leaf was closing Larsen's. Larsen's wraps up operations April 29 and Eden Valley gets the plant's keys on May 13. The closure has been happening in phases over the past three months, with less than 100 people left in the final days from about 250 people on the job when the closure was announced. Lines were steadily transferring out to other Maple Leaf plants followed by layoffs of that line's workers. There will be a lot of renovation work in the building, but it will be on the same timeline they had for the Eastern Protein project and expect the plant to be operational in the summer of 2012. Eden Valley expects to hire up to 200 people to work in the plant once production gets underway. Work will include kill, clean and cut lines. The chicken pieces will be bagged or trayed for restaurant or retail, but there will not be any further processing into nuggets, burgers or deboning. Kings County Advertiser - April 5, 2011 Kings County Register - April 28, 2011
Education
The Annapolis Valley Regional School Board (AVRSB) will eliminate 15 positions at its regional office in Berwick and 27 teaching positions as the result of provincial funding cuts as the school board copes with smaller enrolments and a two per cent budget cut across Nova Scotia. The school board recently released a brief saying staffing reductions, with few exceptions, have been accomplished through attrition (retirements and resignations) and no Nova Scotia Teacher's Union (NSTU) lay-off is anticipated for permanent or probationary teachers. The AVRSB also cut seven administrative positions and eliminated eight consultants who provided resources for programs such as reading recovery, French and fine arts. The teaching positions will be cut based on each school's enrollment. There are 300 fewer students across the Annapolis Valley school system and individual schools will soon learn if they will lose staff. Wages and benefits make up 85% of the board's budget, so staffing decisions had to come first but a bit more budget trimming is expected to take place in May. The school board oversees 43 schools with more than 14,000 students and 973 full-time teachers and 800 supporting staff. Kings County Register - April 28, 2011
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Upper Clements Park is preparing for a $1 million expansion that will see construction of a new aerial adventure park across the road from the existing theme park. Architectural design work is underway and site preparation in expected to begin this spring. The aerial adventure park is expected to attract 35,000 more visitors and create 40 new seasonal jobs when it is up and running. The existing theme park employs 150 people seasonally, attracts 75,000 visitors a year and pumps about $6 million into the economy. Phase 1 of the adventure park is expected to be completed and opened this fall at a cost of $450,000. Phase 2 will follow next year. Chronicle Herald - April 1, 2011
New Minas Village Commission got the okay to fund a new recreation and civic centre - a $4.2 million project. To be located in Lockhart Ryan Park, between the Baptist church and Bonnyman family properties, the proposed 26,000 square foot building would house a gym, day camp space, Lions' and Rotary clubrooms, village offices and recreational space. The village plans to advertise for tenders for design and construction, as well as a fundraising position, immediately. If all goes well, construction would begin in October. Kings County Advertiser - April 12, 2011
Public Administration
Declining mail volumes and revenues are prompting proposed reductions in rural retail operations by Canada Post, both locally and across the country, a spokesperson confirms. Revenue has dropped and the primary cause of that is the switch by many companies to electronic billing and other correspondence away from traditional mail service. Maritime branch president of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA), said the information her union has received puts the reduction at approximately 150,000 hours nationally and a cut of 20,000 retail hours in Nova Scotia (for both Canadian postal workers and CPAA members). The primary concern is that the proposed reductions involve non-vacant positions and are expected to impact on the hours of work for workers at rural retail postal outlets. Actual figures or locations have yet to be determined but the reductions are likely to be reflected in reduced employee hours at some locations, as opposed to shutting down outlets or reducing actual hours of operation. Truro Daily News- April 13, 2011
West Hants Council has made the decision to withdraw from the funding arrangement between the Municipality and the Hants Regional Development Authority and has given the RDA 90 days notice. The cut in funding will likely result in jobs lost at the HRDA office and will require the Municipality of West Hants to hire its own economic development staff. Hants Journal - April 15, 2011
Note: In preparing this bulletin, 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 the bulletin was published. Readers are encouraged to also refer to other sources for additional information on the local economy and labour market. Information contained in this bulletin does not necessarily reflect official policies of Service Canada.For more information please contact: glenn.mcmullen@servicecanada.gc.ca
or visit: www.labourmarketinformation.ca