In this edition:
- Niagara unemployment rate rises as 2,200 workers leave local labour force
- Blockbuster report bolsters effort to uncork wine industry
- Lincoln wineries secure top three national spots at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Canada
- Summer Games Host Society launches Sport Niagara
- Global food prices on the rise, geopolitical issues behind the cause
- Government of Canada launches consultations on Budget 2023
- Reading Recommendations: Technology
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Niagara unemployment rate rises as 2,200 workers leave local labour force
Niagara’s unemployment rate increased from 5.7% to 6% in July, even as the overall labour force shrank from 232,300 to 230,100 people. The participation rate – the number of people either working or actively seeking work – fell from 60.9% to 60.2%, indicating that job creation is slowing faster than labour market participation.
Nationally, employment was little changed in July (-6,000; -0.0%). The unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 5.5%, marking the third consecutive monthly increase.
Employment fell among core-aged men aged 25 to 54 years old (-27,000; -0.4%) and increased among male youth aged 15 to 24 (+13,000; +0.9%). There was little variation in employment among young and core-aged women, and among men and women aged 55 and older.
Click here to access Statistics Canada’s interactive Labour Force Survey app.
Click here for more data visualizations.
Blockbuster report bolsters effort to uncork wine industry
Niagara Region councillors are amplifying the findings of a landmark economic study of the Ontario Wine industry that shows the sector has the potential to generate billions of dollars in economic growth for the region over in the next 25 years with the right support.
In the wake of Uncork Ontario, released by Deloitte Canada last month, regional council has passed a motion asking the province to ease the tax burden on the wine industry and create an environment that uncorks its potential and serves consumers better.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Coun. Andrea Kaiser noted councillors have passed similar motions but hopes the report’s factual analysis and conclusions will make a difference this time.
Lincoln wineries secure top three national spots at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Canada
The Town of Lincoln is thrilled to share the extraordinary success of its local wineries at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Canada, solidifying the Niagara Benchlands destination as a leader in wine excellence for Canada’s grape and wine industry. With over 211 wine awards in total, including 7 Platinum Medals, 45 Gold Medals, 91 Silver Medals, and 68 Bronze Medals, the Town of Lincoln’s wineries in the Niagara Benchlands have achieved remarkable success. The top 3 award winners are:
- Hidden Bench Estate Winery, a family-owned estate winery in Beamsville within the Niagara Benchlands destination, has been named ‘Winery of the Year’ at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Canada.
- Tawse Winery also made a lasting mark, securing 2 Platinum Medals, along with 17 other medals, and achieving the remarkable distinction of second place in WineAlign’s ranking of Canada’s Top 25 Wineries.
- Megalomaniac, perfectly perched atop the Niagara Escarpment, secured the third-place finish with its platinum-awarded Bubblehead Brut and secured a spot among WineAlign’s ranking of Canada’s Top 25 Wineries.
Summer Games Host Society launches Sport Niagara
A year after the Canada Summer Games in Niagara the Host Society has announced the launch of Sport Niagara.
The new not-for-profit organization will focus on supporting the attraction and hosting of future sport events in Niagara.
Sport Niagara will be funded in part by the 2022 Canada Games Legacy Fund which has more than $3 million surplus generated from last summers games.
Global food prices on the rise, geopolitical issues behind the cause
Global prices for food commodities like rice and vegetable oil have risen for the first time in months after Russia pulled out of a wartime agreement allowing Ukraine to ship grain to the world, and India restricted some of its rice exports, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said on Aug. 4.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly traded food commodities, increased 1.3% in July over June, driven by higher costs for rice and vegetable oil. It was the first uptick since April, when higher sugar prices bumped up the index slightly for the first time in a year.
Government of Canada launches consultations on Budget 2023
The Government of Canada is today moving forward with consultations to advance key budget priorities to grow the clean economy and ensure tax fairness for Canadians and Canadian businesses. These consultations advance key components of the government’s clean economy plan to create new opportunities for Canadian workers today and for generations to come. The government is also consulting on ways to close tax loopholes, including those used by the wealthiest and multinational companies, and deliver tax relief for Canadian workers and businesses.
Canadians are invited to share their views and feedback on draft legislative proposals for various measures as the government works towards legislative implementation in the coming months.
Did you know?
More than a quarter of the world’s workforce is employed in agriculture.
Focus on Technology
One in five Canadians are using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help them with their work or studies, finds new research from KPMG in Canada. But while many users are seeing a boost in productivity, the survey underscores the need for strong organizational controls and policies and employee education as some users are entering sensitive data into their prompts, not verifying results and claiming AI content as their own.
A survey of 5,140 Canadians found 1,052 (20 per cent) have used generative AI to help them do their jobs or schooling. The most common uses include research, generating ideas, writing essays and creating presentations. Respondents say the use of the technology has enhanced productivity and quality, created revenue and increased grades but, in the process, they are engaging in behaviour that could create risks for their employers.
Canadian firms slow in responding to cyber attacks, report suggests
It can take Canadian organizations up to 48 days to detect and recover from a cyber attack, according to a new survey of infosec professionals.
The number is included in a survey of 553 Canadian IT security and risk and compliance professionals released today by CDW Canada.
The mean time to detect a cyber incident was 7.1 days. However, 29 per cent of respondents said it took over between four days and week to detect an incident.
3 ways to apply AI and machine learning in engineering and manufacturing
Artificial intelligence (AI) has dramatically changed many industries, including manufacturing and engineering. People have explored the use of AI in engineering, whether to save time, learn new things or accomplish challenging tasks. Applying it in manufacturing can speed up production. There’s also significant work happening regarding machine learning in engineering. Machine learning is a subset of AI that allows algorithms to adapt and improve without ongoing human input.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
