Lots of jobs in Manitoba
December 12, 2007
Portage Daily Graphic
Written by: John Cairns
Immigrants helping to fill some positions, says Tompkins
There are plenty of jobs in Manitoba.
That’s the message coming from Statistics Canada, and also from Portage la Prairie employers who say they have noticed a tighter market for skilled workers here.
Statistics Canada released employment rate numbers for November that point to a new record high for Manitoba at 67 per cent. The previous record was 66.8 per cent in October. As well, the youth employment rate was 68.6 per cent in November, exceeding the previous high of 67.8 set in October 2001.
In terms of job numbers, private sector positions increased by 17,900 or 4.1 per cent, with full-time jobs increasing by 16,700 or 3.5 per cent. A total of 17,200 more individuals had jobs. As well, Manitoba’s unemployment rate was 4.2 per cent, third lowest in the country.
Wilf Falk, chief statistician for the province of Manitoba, said there are widespread good economic conditions accounting for the totals.
“One can even say it can’t get much better than this,” said Falk, who expects the third-quarter population growth will be higher than it has been in a quarter-century for Manitoba with many people moving back from Alberta due to the high cost of living there.
In terms of the overall employment rate, Manitoba is just behind Saskatchewan at 67.1 per cent and well back of Alberta, with an employment rate of 71.2.
The low-unemployment trend is also true for the Portage area. According to numbers compiled by the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics for the North Central region, which includes Portage and the surrounding area, the full employment rate in this area is 63.3 per cent, with an overall unemployment rate at 3.4 per cent. These statistics were compiled for the three-month rolling period of September to November.
While it is hard to say what these figures mean for Portage, there are plenty of reports of high demand for workers in this area.
Karl Gerrand, president of Can-Oat Milling, said, “We’ve been hiring pretty steadily over the last couple of months.”
His company is up to 220 employees. Gerrand said it is a challenge to attract workers, but said many people are attracted to his company because it’s a stable industry with good benefits. He also said a lot of people who had moved to Alberta to seek work there are now moving back and looking for opportunities in Manitoba.
Other local manufacturers have been reporting good hiring trends. Hi-Tec Industries Ltd. of Portage won a contract to produce trailers for Iowa-based H&H Trailer Co. a year ago. The company said last week plans are in the works to hire some 50 additional workers in the new year to meet the contract.
Chris Tompkins, director at Simplot Canada Ltd.’s Portage facility, said there is definitely a high demand for workers in the area. Simplot has been advertising for positions in its Portage potato processing plant. Tompkins also said the Simplot plant is busy with further expansion plans ahead.
“It’s getting to be more and more of a challenge for us to find people for our openings,” said Tompkins. His company has turned to immigrants from other countries to help fill the gaps at the plant and Tompkins calls them an “excellent resource” to draw upon.
Dean Yaremchuk, director of community and economic development for the City of Portage, said companies have taken advantage of the immigration program set up jointly by the city and Rural Municipality of Portage to help fill gaps in skilled labour in the area.
“We do know that the number of immigrants in the city is up over a year ago,” said Yaremchuk.
He said about 150 immigrants have come to Portage this year and “in order to come here you need to have work,” Yaremchuk said.
Yaremchuk believes that there is growth in the Portage community. He points to growing tax assessments and retail businesses moving into the west end contributing to good economic conditions in the city.
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