Vol. 8 Issue 3, August 20, 2020
Hamilton's Labour Market Connection
Your weekly news & updates from WPH!
In this week's edition: Restart & Recovery Survey: Covid-19 in Hamilton; July Labour Force Information; Canada's agriculture sector suffering'; Who's Hiring in Hamilton during COVID-19?; Hamilton LMI July 020

Last Call! Survey Closes Tomorrow!


Workforce Planning Hamilton is working in collaboration with the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force (ERTF) to distribute the RESTART & RECOVERY Survey: Covid-19 in Hamilton.


The Restart & Recovery survey aims to:
  • Dig deeper into the challenges Hamilton businesses are facing
  • Understand what kind of support are in need during these trying times
  • Explore the long-term impact the pandemic is having on all sectors of businesses in Hamilton and our workforce


The survey should take less than 15 minutes and is strictly confidential. We are seeking feedback from all Hamilton businesses operating prior, during, or after the Phase 3 reopening.

The Restart and Recovery Survey is open to businesses in the following communities: Hamilton, Dundas, Ancaster, Flamborough, Waterdown, Stoney Creek and Glanbrook to provide local relevant feedback.

This is a difficult time for many businesses but your voice and experiences are invaluable during these challenging times.

We encourage all businesses to also share the survey with their networks to spread the survey across our community, as the feedback is crucial for recovery. 

Thank you to all businesses that have completed the survey already! Please note you only need to complete it once.

Survey closes August 21st, 2020; Complete it today!
July Labour Force Information

The chart below shows there has been a noticeable decrease in job growth among males. In June there were 217,000 job gains for males, while in July there were only 12,900 jobs gains. Females also saw a small increase but not to the same degree. The male unemployment rate actually increased in July to 11.6% from 11.2% in the previous month.

All age groups saw an increase in employment but there was a remarkable slow down among core age workers. Employment increased in June among core-aged workers by 248,400 and in July it only increased by 60,600. There was still a decrease in the unemployment rates among all age groups, but the youth unemployment rate, those ages 15 to 24 years, is still at historic highs at 28.4%. There was an increase in the number of youth entering the labour force but there is still significant job creations need to lower the unemployment rate.
The top industries in Ontario and Hamilton and differ but both had Retail trade at the top. However, none of the other industries aligned. The top 5 industries with the most gains for females were reflect the same industries in the overall top five industries growing. Industries that have predominately-male employees such as Construction and Manufacturing were not in the top five industries for growth. Professional, scientific, and technical services is another industry that has higher male employment and it also did not grow much over the recovery.
We have been following along with the labour force survey information each month as we progress through the beginning stages of recovery to better understand what's happening in Hamilton.

Canada's Agriculture Sector Must Adapt to Overcome Chronic Labour Shortages

For decades, Canada has been a world-leading exporter of agricultural products, and our contribution to food production is expected to continue to grow in the years to come. Unfortunately, most provinces and many commodities in Canada are affected by the agriculture sector’s chronic and significant labour shortages.

Key challenges in attracting and retaining workers included too much or too difficult manual labour and that the seasonal nature of work does not interest applicant. The rural location of operations and low wages were also reported as challenges in attracting and retaining workers. Rural areas are also seeing declining populations, which means a decline in the local labour force.
Who's Hiring in Hamilton During COVID-19?

New job board provides opportunities for businesses and job seekers
With support from the city’s Economic Development Office we are sharing a new platform for Hamilton businesses and their local employment needs. During these unprecedented times there is a desire for real-time information on job opportunities across many sectors in our city.

Hamilton Labour Force Information:
July 2020

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Economic Development, and the Flamborough and Stoney Creek Chambers of Commerce, are closely monitoring and assessing new developments pertaining to COVID-19, as well as its impacts on Hamilton business.

Workforce Planning Hamilton | 905-521-5777| [email protected] | www.workforceplanninghamilton.ca