More jobs coming to region, report predicts
New figures suggest population in local area will grow by 0.7 per cent
It may not be as much as they’d hoped, but a new report predicts more jobs coming to Windsor in the next two years.
The Ontario Economic Update 2016, released by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Credit Unions of Ontario, expects slow but steady economic growth in Windsor and Essex County that will see the region’s unemployment rate decrease to 9.1 per cent by December 2017. In November, the region’s jobless rate sat at 10 per cent.
“Given Windsor and Essex County, what we’ve been through, it’s not an acceptable number, but it’s our reality,” said June Muir, CEO of the Unemployed Help Centre. “We know that we still have a lot of individuals who are unemployed.”
Muir said she’s seeing positive results from government programs and initiatives, as well as a boost to the manufacturing sector. She added it’s encouraging to see job fairs such as the one at Sutherland Global Services Wednesday.
The report predicts growth partly due to the depreciated Canadian dollar, faster U.S. economic growth and lower oil prices. It also says a new transportation network — the Herb Gray Parkway and planned international bridge — and existing manufacturing infrastructure will help spur growth.
Still, it shows the Windsor-Sarnia economic region saw much lower growth in 2015 than most other parts of the province.
The report also projects the Windsor census metropolitan area, which includes much of Essex County except for Leamington, will see employment grow by 1.7 per cent in 2016 and by 1.2 per cent in 2017.
“I don’t think it’s as good as anyone would like, but we’re hoping we may be able to outperform that,” said Matt Marchand, president and CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“With the Canadian dollar where it is, we have a good opportunity to drive exports in the agricultural and automotive sectors,” he added.
He said the prediction is also a reminder of the need to reduce the mismatch between the 400 or so open jobs in the community and those seeking work. He said he regularly hears from member businesses seeking electrical engineers, tool and die workers, truck drivers or welders.
Rakesh Naidu, interim CEO of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation, said the manufacturing sector is starting to see an upswing. He said he’s seeing spinoff for many suppliers kept busy enough with orders that they’re adding more shifts of workers.
“Changes in jobless numbers, they don’t move up or down in a very drastic way,” Naidu explained. “It takes a longtime.”
He added that the development corporation is working on new strategies to take advantage of the momentum in the economy.
The Windsor region is also predicted to see substantial gains in its housing sector. Prices are predicted to grow by between five and seven per cent, bringing the average home value to about $220,000.
Norm Langlois, president of the Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors, said home values have been steadily increasing over the past several years.
The report also predicts Windsor’s population will increase slightly, growing at 0.6 per cent in 2016 and 0.7 per cent in 2017. It attributes this growth to immigration and fewer people leaving Windsor to work in other provinces.
Mitch Fields, executive director of co-op, career, and employment services at the University of Windsor, said the economic growth prediction is a good sign for students hoping to find work in the city after graduation.
For Naidu, it’s a sign that the long-awaited turnaround is starting to happen, even if the predicted unemployment rate in two years remains high.
“I wish that number was a lot lower,” he said. “But it’s a good thing. We always knew that things were going to get better.”