Employment outlook rosy in Halifax

[Haliguy]

Employment outlook rosy in Halifax
March 11, 2009 - 5:55 am
By: Ruth Davenport

The job market in Halifax is looking up.

A new survey from Manpower Inc. shows 27 per cent of local employers are planning to add to the labour force between April and June and only three per cent are planning cutbacks.

That's pretty good compared to national numbers, which show just 15 per cent of employers planning new hires and nine per cent expecting layoffs.

A representative for Manpower in Halifax tells the Herald, we can thank the city's mixed economy. Government, education, health care and the military are "core services" that won't be hit as hard by the economic downturn.

[Spitfire75]

We've been pretty lucky in Halifax, we haven't been hit very hard by the recession/housing bubble. Anyone know why that is? Is it because of our 'mixed economy' like he said, or our isolation out here on the east coast?

[someone123]

The East Coast has never been economically isolated - it imports good from China, workers move to Alberta, etc.

For Halifax I think it is the mixed economy mentioned along with the lack of speculative development and low cost of doing business.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Spitfire75

We've been pretty lucky in Halifax, we haven't been hit very hard by the recession/housing bubble. Anyone know why that is? Is it because of our 'mixed economy' like he said, or our isolation out here on the east coast?

As far as real estate is concerned...I think it is because we never saw the massive highs that they did out west....we never got overly inflated with completely unrealistic prices...so we don't have the massive readjustment that your seeing in the west......as far as job losses....well Ontario has been losing thousands and thousand of manufacturing jobs...and that has hit them very hard...so the fact that we have a mixed economy like you said...and the fact that we don't have major manufacturing sectors...means we have remained fairly safe...for now...we still feel more of an effect in the coming months though, as it works it way through the system

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

...means we have remained fairly safe...for now...we still feel more of an effect in the coming months though, as it works it way through the system

I feel we will weather the storm alot better than most however

[fenwick16]

Based on Statcan statistics the Halifax area saw employment growth of 4.5 percent between August 2008 and August 2009 ( http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss03a-eng.htm ). This is an increase of 9.4 thousand jobs. Only booming Saskatoon had a higher percentage job growth.

The job growth in the Halifax area hasn't just been a one year phenomenon but has shown steady growth over the past few years. I hope that his will continue for the next several years.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

I saw a post on here a couple of weeks ago stating Halifax had gained 8000 residents in the same year, which would be a pretty impressive pace of growth to say the least. Combined with strong employment growth it looks like we might be benefitting from the slow down in Alberta and Ontario as people look back to the Maritimes.

Any confirmation on that number of 8000, or am I making things up?

[someone123]

I could be wrong but I think it was more like 6300, not 8000. Unfortunately it's hard to find these numbers on the StatsCan website.

I personally think there are a number of long-term economic changes happening that favour Halifax. Location matters a lot less now for many businesses relative to advantages like lower real estate and labour costs. Even on an individual level, more people are choosing a place to live now based on general quality of life rather than just earning potential, and Halifax has huge advantages in that area compared to places like Toronto.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Originally Posted by someone123

I could be wrong but I think it was more like 6300, not 8000. Unfortunately it's hard to find these numbers on the StatsCan website.

Yeah the StatsCan site stinks - plus since HRM is amalgamated its tougher to get an idea of where the growth is taking place.

6300/372 858 = 1.68% population growth in one year. That's quite strong growth. Personally I think 8000 people/year, (just over 2% growth in a year) would be too much. That's closer to what the GTA and Calgary have been experiencing for many years now and that level of growth can be hard on a city year in, year out. Granted this is only one year for Halifax, but if strong growth turns into a trend I hope its at a rate we can accomodate without hurting some of the city's strengths.

I personally think there are a number of long-term economic changes happening that favour Halifax. Location matters a lot less now for many businesses relative to advantages like lower real estate and labour costs. Even on an individual level, more people are choosing a place to live now based on general quality of life rather than just earning potential, and Halifax has huge advantages in that area compared to places like Toronto.

Agree 100%. Even in the location department we're not too bad -a major port and quick flights to Toronto, Montreal, Boston, NY, plus direct flights to Chicago, DC, London. Not bad for a city under 400,000.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by someone123

I could be wrong but I think it was more like 6300, not 8000. Unfortunately it's hard to find these numbers on the StatsCan website.

I personally think there are a number of long-term economic changes happening that favour Halifax. Location matters a lot less now for many businesses relative to advantages like lower real estate and labour costs. Even on an individual level, more people are choosing a place to live now based on general quality of life rather than just earning potential, and Halifax has huge advantages in that area compared to places like Toronto.

agreed

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by someone123

I could be wrong but I think it was more like 6300, not 8000. Unfortunately it's hard to find these numbers on the StatsCan website.

I personally think there are a number of long-term economic changes happening that favour Halifax. Location matters a lot less now for many businesses relative to advantages like lower real estate and labour costs. Even on an individual level, more people are choosing a place to live now based on general quality of life rather than just earning potential, and Halifax has huge advantages in that area compared to places like Toronto.

The numbers can be found at the following thread ( http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...=163089&page=5 ). This indicates 394,565 as of 2008 (end or middle of 2008? I am not sure). So this would be a bit over 6,200 increase from 2007. Based on this data, the population might already be over 400,000. How much longer until Halifax area gets to 500,000? At 1.5% increase per year (compounded) it would take just about exactly 15 years. Let's go Halifax!

Another interesting fact from Statcan, the number of people employed in Halifax is only about 13K less than London, Ontario ( http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss04f-eng.htm ).

[someone123]

Halifax is at a really interesting point in its development - it's in the middle of a shift between being a small town and being a medium-sized city.

Today it's in the ballpark where it is completely reasonable to plan things like light rail, a third bridge, or a major stadium, whereas back in the 60s and 70s it was just too small and poor to support much. Of course, another way to look at this is that this is a time for making some real decisions. The longer things like transit improvements are put off, the harder they will be to implement.

[Wishblade]

Here is an update on the employment numbers for Halifax. It compares August 2010 with August 2011:

http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss04a-eng.htm

Overall, I'd say things are looking pretty good.

[someone123]

If this rate of growth remains roughly constant the city will hit 500,000 in 10-15 years. If immigration increases the growth rate could be even higher.

It's good to see that lots of investment in the core is on the horizon. I think we will see more substantial progress in the next 5 years than in the previous 10. Unfortunately the municipal government is still in "small town" mode when it comes to things like transportation planning. The level of investment in new transit services is way too low. They should be looking at things like light rail at this stage but instead they're stuck in neutral, periodically adding a few new bus routes.

[resetcbu1]

The DND ship building contract could also boost these numbers if awarded to Halifax , in my opinion it is one of the most important potential business oppertunities this city has ever had so let's hope it comes through in our favour

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by resetcbu1

The DND ship building contract could also boost these numbers if awarded to Halifax , in my opinion it is one of the most important potential business oppertunities this city has ever had so let's hope it comes through in our favour

The shipbuilding contract would be historical for Halifax--and waves of economic rejuvenation would invigorate all of Atlantic Canada.

If Halifax is awarded the contract, then reaching a population of half a million within a decade is extremely likely.

[Empire]

This is the type business I think can thrive in Halifax. (satellite operations) As the article says 'Halifax is an easy sell' I think this could work to lure head offices as well such as just happened with Atlantis Systems Corp.

Atlantis
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1264207.html

From the Herald
Alberta company lures staff to Halifax Up to 200 sought for N.S. operation that will to support oil patch out west
By JOHN DEMONT Business Reporter
Wed, Sep 14 - 4:54 AM

Scott Richards wasn’t necessarily looking to come back to Halifax but the opportunity to open the Atlantic operations for Projex, an engineering company from Alberta, was just too good to turn down.
Now his new bosses hope more Nova Scotians feel the same way.
This fall Projex, which employs 240 in its Calgary head office, intends to hire 15 engineers, designers and technicians to work in its Bayers Road offices. The interesting twist: the Halifax manpower will support Projex’s clients in the Alberta oil patch rather than work in the East Coast energy industry.
What’s more, Projex has enough business on its order books that it needs to grow bigger still. That’s more good news for the East Coast. By the end of 2012, it expects to have 50 to 200 employees on its Halifax payroll, which could hit $10 million.
Some of the new hires will be Halifax engineers, Brad said Tuesday. But they’re also hunting for expat Nova Scotians who want to go back home, along with anyone else looking to live and work in a place with an enviable lifestyle.
"Halifax is an easy sell for any engineer," he said.
His company hasn’t asked the provincial government for payroll rebates or any other incentive to set up shop in Halifax, Brad said.
In the past, Projex has used engineers based in Regina to work for its Alberta clients.
Richards, a graduate of Saint Mary’s and Harvard universities who once owned a Subway franchise on Argyle Street, is just happy his new employer has seen the light about Halifax.
"The first thing I did when I got back was drive down to St. Mary’s park and go for a big walk in Point Pleasant Park," he said.
( jdemont@herald.ca)