Four fascinating facts about Hamilton

Vol. 8, Issue 5, August 30, 2018

Hamilton's Labour Market Connection

Your weekly news & updates from WPH!

In this week's edition: Fascinating facts about Hamilton's economy; Discover Ability site matches job seekers and employers: Recent trends in Canada's labour market.

How much do you know about Hamilton's labour market?

The series of 11 industry sector profiles that WPH staff are currently working on using the new 2016 Census information are almost complete.

These profiles highlight skills gaps and shortages in our community, and will educate employers and job seekers about the jobs in demand and where to find them.

Listed are top trends with regards to industry information, employment, workforce characteristics and businesses information for sectors such as: Manufacturing, Health Care and Social Assistance, Construction, Retail Trade, Educational Services, and more.

An overview on Hamilton's economy has also been prepared.

Did you know?

The largest industry in terms of employment in Hamilton is Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance grew the most in terms of total workers (4,680 from 2006 to 2016)
Accommodation and food services grew the most over the last five years (by 22% or 2,710 workers from 2011 to 2016)
The industry with the fastest growth in income from 2011 to 2016 was Management of companies and enterprises (growing by 44% or $18,479)

The reports will be completed soon and featured on the WPH site, as well as being shared with local employment services providers.

Discover Ability: A one-stop portal for job seekers and employers

The Flamborough Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Hamilton Technology Centre presented "Lunch & Learn: Discover Ability in the Workplace" today (September 6) at Clearcable. Thanks to Flamborough Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Matteo Patricelli for facilitating this important learning session for local employers.

The employers in attendance learned how the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) applies to their business.

Guest speaker Louie DiPalma, Director of Small Medium Enterprise Programs at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce explained employers' responsibilities under the Act; how to develop an accessibility plan and why hiring individuals with disabilities makes good business sense. He shared valuable information about the resources available to help employers hire, accommodate and retain employees with disabilities.

One of these resources is Discover Ability, a free online portal and resource that connects Ontario businesses directly to people with disabilities. The portal is funded by the Government of Ontario and powered by Magnet. A six-step guide can be accessed via the site that is a great resource for employers, and provides answers to any questions they may have when hiring—and

retaining—employees with disabilities.

Visit the Discover Ability site.

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Recent trends in Canada's labour market

Several indicators pointed to positive trends in the Canadian labour market in 2017.

Employment grew at its fastest pace in a decade, and the unemployment rate matched a record low of 5.8% in December 2017.

How has the labour market fared over the first six months of 2018?

The number of people in employment increased by 214,900 or 1.2% from June 2017 to June 2018, while job vacancies were up 19.0% from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018.

Signs of moderation are beginning to emerge. Year-over-year employment growth was slower in the first half of 2018 compared with the second half of 2017, and the number of people working was little changed between December 2017 and June 2018.