Niagara’s Labour Force in August 2021
NWPB’s Eye on Employment outlines the latest data from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. These data report that in August of 2021 Niagara saw 8,900 more people in employment compared to July 2021. This increase was evenly divided across gains in full-time (+4,400) and part-time (+4,400) employment. Note that the 8,900 figure is greater than the sum of its parts due to rounding on the part of Statistics Canada.
Niagara’s unemployment rate remained constant at 10.4% between July and August 2021. However, we saw gains in the employment rate from 52.4% in July to 54.8% in August, and gains in the participation rate from 58.5% to 61.1%. These indicate people are actively seeking out employment.
Approximately 5,400 Niagara youth gained employment in August 2021, with the majority finding full-time employment. Women and men reported employment gains of 4,100 and 4,700 in August respectively. Compared to this time last year, there are 13,500 more women in employment and 400 fewer men reporting employment.
| Labour force characteristics | July 2020 | August 2020 | 2020 | June 2021 | July 2021 | August 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 207,100 | 215,600 | 211,200 | 214,500 | 218,200 | 227,900 |
| Employment | 181,500 | 191,200 | 190,600 | 190,000 | 195,400 | 204,300 |
| Full-time employment | 145,600 | 153,400 | 147,200 | 152,000 | 157,800 | 162,200 |
| Part-time employment | 35,900 | 37,800 | 43,400 | 38,000 | 37,700 | 42,100 |
| Unemployment | 25,600 | 24,500 | 20,600 | 24,500 | 22,800 | 23,600 |
| Unemployment rate | 12.4% | 11.4% | 9.8% | 11.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% |
| Participation rate | 55.8% | 58.0% | 56.9% | 57.5% | 58.5% | 61.1% |
| Employment rate | 48.9% | 51.5% | 51.3% | 51.0% | 52.4% | 54.8% |
NWPB’s full report can be found online through this link.
National employment rises for third consecutive month
Employment rose by 90,000 (+0.5%) in August, the third consecutive monthly increase. The unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 7.1%. Employment is within 156,000 (-0.8%) of its February 2020 level, the closest since the onset of the pandemic.
August employment gains were concentrated in full-time work (+69,000; +0.4%). Increases were mainly in services-producing industries, led by accommodation and food services, and were spread across multiple demographic groups. Total hours worked were little changed and were 2.6% below their pre-pandemic level.
Click here for more information.
On-campus vaccination clinic for students, staff and public to be held at Niagara College on September 13 and 20
Niagara College students, staff, and members of the public will be able to receive a first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on campus this September.
GO-VAXX bus, a mobile vaccination clinic, will be on campus for drop-ins on the following dates:
September 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. @ the Welland Campus in parking lot A (east side).
September 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. @ the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake in parking lot A (south side).
Maps of campus lots can be found on the NC website. Parking is free for those visiting the GO-VAXX bus.
The Election Section
Niagara federal vote projections
Seats (Projection)
| Niagara Centre | Niagara Falls | Niagara West | St. Catharines | Canada (338canada) | Canada (CBC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloc Quebecois | 7% (32 seats) | 6.8% (31 seats) | ||||
| Conservative Party | 30% | 38% | 46% | 32% | 31.4% (126 seats) | 31% (119 seats) |
| Green Party | 3% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.4% (2 seats) | 3.5% (1 seat) |
| Liberal Party | 35% | 31% | 29% | 36% | 31.9% (148 seats) | 31.5% (155 seats) |
| New Democratic Party | 24% | 21% | 14% | 23% | 19.3% (31 seats) | 19.1% (32 seats) |
| People's Party | 7.6% | 6% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 6% (0 seats) | 7% (0 seats) |
| Christian Heritage | - | - | 1.1% | - | - | - |
Data are provided by 338canada.com and the CBC using an aggregate of polls. Projections are updated daily. Click here for more information and margins of error.
Download the Canadian Chamber’s policy tracker, which summarizes party commitments made to date.
Niagara’s Prosperity Matters: Build infrastructure that supports commerce
Businesses will only reach new customers if they can get their products to market. Getting there requires high-quality infrastructure with sufficient capacity to carry goods across different modes of transportation.
The GNCC is calling on all parties to maximize the economic benefit of the seaway by developing adjacent lands. The Seaway has enormous unrealized economic potential for Niagara. Potential industrial lands adjoining the seaway should be developed. This may require the separation of the lands from seaway management.
Click here to read more about the GNCC’s Niagara Prosperity Plan.
Vote-splitting a growing problem for Trudeau, O’Toole in close race: Nanos
CTV News
With the leadership debates now in the rear-view mirror and polls showing a close race between the Liberals and Conservatives, the issue of vote-splitting is becoming increasingly significant ahead of the Sept. 20 federal election, according to pollster Nik Nanos.
“If you’re [Conservative Leader] Erin O’Toole and play fantasy politics, you’d say ‘what would the world look like without Maxime Bernier?’” Nanos said on Friday’s edition of CTV’s Trend Line podcast. “On the other side of that we’ve got the NDP. I imagine there’s quite a few ridings where Justin Trudeau might be sweating, considering NDP support.”
Reading Recommendations
The real lessons from 9/11
The Economist
Twenty years ago America set out to reshape the world order after the attacks of September 11th. Today it is easy to conclude that its foreign policy has been abandoned on a runway at Kabul airport. President Joe Biden says the exit from Afghanistan was about “ending an era” of distant wars, but it has left America’s allies distraught and its enemies gleeful. Most Americans are tired of it all: roughly two-thirds say the war wasn’t worth it. Yet the national mood of fatigue and apathy is a poor guide to America’s future role in the world. Its capabilities remain formidable and its strategy can be retooled for the 21st century, provided the right lessons are drawn from the post-9/11 era.
11 September 2001: The conspiracy theories still spreading after 20 years
BBC News
The first 9/11 conspiracy theories appeared on the internet just hours after the attacks, on 11 September 2001, and with the rise of social media, have grown in scope and scale ever since.
Extensive reports by the 9/11 Commission, US government agencies and expert groups have refuted the existence of any hidden conspiracy.
But activist groups in the US and elsewhere, the 9/11 Truth movement, say the facts have been hidden.
Some leading members of the movement have also embraced conspiracies about Covid-19 and vaccines.
And some senior politicians, celebrities and media figures have also disputed the official account.
Denmark lifts domestic COVID-19 restrictions, citing high vaccination rate
CBC News
Denmark’s high vaccination rate has enabled the Scandinavian country to become one of the first European Union nations to lift all domestic COVID-19 restrictions.
The return to normalcy has been gradual, but as of Friday, the country’s digital proof of vaccination is no longer required when entering nightclubs, making it the last virus safeguard to fall. More than 80 per cent of people above the age of 12 have had the two shots.
As of midnight, the Danish government no longer considers COVID-19 “a socially critical disease.” Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said Aug. 27 that “the epidemic is under control,” but warned that “we are not out of the epidemic,” and the government will act as needed if necessary.
Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker
These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions. Lower numbers are better in all metrics.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Last updated: September 4, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
On September 10, there were 12 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19, of which 12 were unvaccinated, 0 were partially vaccinated, and 0 were fully vaccinated. There were 4 patients with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.
Over the last 28 days, a Niagara resident vaccinated with 1 dose was 3.7 times more likely to contract COVID-19, and an unvaccinated person was 8.4 times more likely.
Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.
| Percentage of population with one dose | Percentage of population fully vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara | 82.7% | 78.2% |
| Ontario | 84.6% | 79.1% |
| Canada | 84.7% | 78.6% |
| United States | 75% | 64% |
| United Kingdom | 78% | 72% |
| Germany | 76% | 74% |
| France | 80% | 77% |
| Italy | 83% | 76% |
| Japan | 80% | 79% |
| World | 63% | 53% |
Total doses administered in Niagara: 674,897
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,358
Last updated: September 10, 2021
Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.
Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses. Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.
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.
