Durham's changing workforce

August 24, 2011 By Geoff Zochodne/The Oshawa Express Twenty years from now, two of the following three will be true of the labour force: It will be older. It will be more diverse. It will be based on the second moon of Jupiter. The first two are accurate, states a recent report from Statistics Canada. The third is a flight of fancy. StatsCan’s report, titled “Projected trends to 2031 for the Canadian labour force,” outlines a future workforce that contains more workers over the age of 55 and who were born outside Canada. Overall, the labour force will increase by at least 20 million additional workers. And, according to StatsCan, nearly one in four of those workers will be over 55. By 2031 one in three members of the labour force would be foreign-born as well. This forthcoming trend will not escape Durham Region either. A general demographics report done by the Toronto Region Research Alliance (TRRA), “a public-private partnership supported by the governments of Ontario and Canada, and a wide range of regional stakeholders from the private sector, universities, colleges, and research hospitals,” says similar things for the local scene. In the report, the Oshawa Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), which includes Clarington and Whitby, is expected to grow both older and more diverse in the near future. By 2015, more than one-third of the Oshawa CMA’s population would be over 55 and a fourth would be immigrants. An aging population and workforce is not a bad thing, says Jim Freeman, president of the Durham Region Labour Council; if you prepare ahead of time. What Freeman would like to see is an increased Canadian Pension Plan (CPP), which would entice older workers to retire comfortably while opening up jobs to a younger generation as well. “The Canada Pension Plan as it stands is not enough to keep seniors out of poverty,” says Freeman. “If you actually make it affordable for people to retire they would.” He also thinks that the jobs of the future are green ones and that the government should be investing in new technology for skilled workers. “The factories are already there and they’re sitting there empty,” he states. As for an increased amount of immigrants living and working in Durham Region, Freeman is concerned they are not being given the chance to become Canadian citizens and instead wind up being rented workers. “They aren’t given the same rights as other Canadian workers,” he says. “They’re bringing them in and then sending them home.” Deficit-cutting may be the hot-button issue in Ottawa right now, continues Freeman, but he asks why the government is cutting jobs that could be used for the same purpose. “The smartest way to get out of the deficit is create jobs and you don’t do that by laying people off,” he explains. Aubrey Andrews, a manager for diversity and immigration for Durham Region Social Services, says that the growing immigrant population will be part of the reason why Durham will top over a million residents by 2031. “A fair bit of that growth can be attributed to immigrants,” she says, adding that between 2001 and 2006, 34 per cent of all growth in the region came from immigrants; which is being incorporated into the local economy. “If you’re in business, you’re in the business of serving a diverse population,” Andrews explains. “We anticipate population shifting.” Durham Region is not a first-stop population for immigrant families, she adds. “Durham is traditionally a site of secondary migration.” But enticing foreign-born workers here can do things for the region, like opening up foreign markets and diversify and bolster creativity among the work force, maintains Andrews. “I think that immigration is an opportunity, and it’s an opportunity to live in a place like Durham Region.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada Selects CSC for Visa Services across Latin America

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Aug 22, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has entered into a service agreement with Computer Sciences Canada Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CSC CSC +2.97% , to provide administrative support to facilitate the successful submission of visa applications from Latin America. The service agreement has a two-year base period and two one-year options.

"We are pleased to support Canada's visa services in support of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's efforts to provide better service to Latin America," said Charlie Whelan, president of Canadian operations for CSC's North American Public Sector (NPS). "Our visa application centers and information services will provide improved access, onsite client service and secure transmission of applications and documentation that will eliminate unnecessary delays in processing at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Visa Office."

As part of this service agreement, Computer Sciences Canada will establish and operate Visa Applications Centers (VACs) in 15 countries across Latin America. These centers will handle applications for residents of Latin America applying for temporary resident visas to Canada, as well as permit and travel document applications for people seeking to travel to Canada from Latin America. Computer Sciences Canada will also provide information services for visa applicants via web sites and contact centers. Since 2009, Computer Sciences Canada has provided similar services to the citizens of Mexico under a separate service agreement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Computer Sciences Canada will go live with these new services in September 2011.

Currently, CSC supports the governments of the United States, Austria, Canada, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom with services in more than 100 countries and in more than 20 languages. Since 2000, CSC has provided accurate visa information and prompt services to more than 40 million visa applicants, scheduling more than 20 million appointments. Since beginning our visa applicant biometric collection services, CSC has securely enrolled millions of applicants.

About CSC's North American Public Sector

As a go-to partner for critical national programs, CSC offers thought leadership, specialized skills and innovative services in critical areas for government clients. Leveraging a global footprint in both private and public sectors, and experience gained from serving almost every U.S. government agency, CSC's North American Public Sector (NPS) brings innovative ideas and proven best practices to help the U.S. government meet mission-critical requirements. For more information about CSC's government solutions, visit http://www.csc.com/government .

About CSC

CSC is a global leader in providing technology-enabled business solutions and services. Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., CSC has approximately 93,000 employees and reported revenue of $16.2 billion for the 12 months ended July 1, 2011. For more information, visit the company's website at www.csc.com .

SOURCE: CSC

CSC 
        Michelle Herd 
        Senior Manager, Communications 
        North American Public Sector 
        703-205-6186 
        mherd@csc.com 
        or 
        Chris Grandis 
        Media Relations Director 
        Corporate 
        703-641-2316 
        cgrandis@csc.com 
        or 
        Bryan Brady 
        Vice President, Investor Relations 
        Corporate 
        703-641-3000 
        investorrelations@csc.com
        

Copyright Business Wire 2011 

Lest we forget, demographic change still often rules the economy

Alex Carrick

Chief Economist, CanaData

Lest we forget, demographics still rule much of what takes place in the economy.

The following are some trends that I personally find interesting with respect to population size, rate of change and make-up in Canada, the provinces and the major urban centres.

In the latest year, Canada’s population increase – from births and immigration less deaths and out-migration – was +1.06%.

The nation is adding about 90,000 people per quarter. That means the population will climb above 35 million in the first quarter of 2013, only a year and a half from now.

Ontario accounts for almost 40% of the nation’s total population. That’s by far the largest provincial share. It presents a huge “hive” of humanity near the geographic centre of the country.

Quebec (23.2% of total Canada) is the next largest province by population, but its share of the national total has fallen below the historically significant 25%.

Throughout Canada’s history to-date, Quebec’s important position in the country has often been guaranteed by its one-quarter share or more of the population.

Then there are some significant blocks.

For example, the Atlantic Region as a whole (6.8%) accounts for almost exactly the same proportion of the nation’s total population as Manitoba plus Saskatchewan (6.7%).

And if Ontario is 40% of the total, then one has to wonder what the pattern is in the other 60%.

Interestingly enough, there is an almost precise East-West split. The Atlantic Region plus Quebec provide 30% of the total as do the Prairies plus B.C.

The Territories with only 111,000 people barely figure in the percentage-of-total calculations.

Since Ontario is 40% of Canada and Toronto is 40% of Ontario, the Queen city is 16% of the national total. That’s a very significant piece of the pie.

The Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA) is adding more than 100,000 people per year. The next closest city is Vancouver (+54,000), advancing at about half that rate.

Adding 100,000 people per year is the equivalent of plunking a city nearly the size of Peterborough within Toronto’s CMA boundaries each year.

By the way, a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is defined by Statistics Canada as an urban area with a 50,000-person downtown core.

All of Canada’s 33 CMAs have total urban plus suburban populations in excess of 100,000.

It’s mentally difficult to come to terms with the notion of an additional 100,000 people per year. Consider what it means in terms of infrastructure needs to serve new homes, stores and offices.

At its present rate of population increase, Toronto will shoot past 6 million people in late 2012.

In Statistics Canada’s latest city population estimates (for July 1, 2010), Montreal added 41,000 people on an annual basis (i.e. compared with July 1, 2009) and Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau and Edmonton all recorded nearly matching gains of 20,000 to 22,000.

The seventh-ranked city in terms of actual population increase was Winnipeg, at +11,000.

The 33 largest cities in Canada now account for more than two-thirds of the nation’s total population.

While that’s an interesting statistic on its own, it contains within it another perhaps more interesting comparison.

The three largest cities in Canada – Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have populations that are 50% of the nation’s urban total, as calculated by the addition of the 33 CMAs.

Combine some of these ratios and you’ll quickly determine that Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver make up one-third of the nation’s total population. That carries a further implication. Montreal and Vancouver added together shelter only about half a million more people than Toronto. Toronto is a behemoth on the Canadian demographic scene.

Toronto’s population growth rate in the most recent year for which data is available (2010 versus 2009) was +1.90%, placing it fourth among all of Canada’s CMAs.

The three fastest growing cities on a percentage change basis were Saskatoon (+2.81%), Vancouver (+2.31%) and Regina (+2.26%).

Note the representation from Saskatchewan, where resource projects are attracting workers.

Only two Canadian cities had a decline in population between 2009 and 2010, Great Sudbury (-0.13%) and Windsor (-0.34%).

At the time, Sudbury was in the throes of a mining sector strike and Windsor was struggling with a downsizing in its auto sector. Both situations are in the process of turning around.

With respect to construction activity, population growth plays an obvious role in the demand for streets, highways, transit projects, schools and medical facilities.

With respect to the latter, the age make-up of the local population can be important.

The median age – i.e., that point at which half the population is older and half younger – of Canadians in mid-2010 was 39.7 years.

Cities with residents notably older were Saguenay and Trois-Rivieres (both with median ages of 45.0), Peterborough (44.7), Victoria (43.5), Kelowna (43.2) and St. Catharines-Niagara (42.8).

Cities harboring a younger population were mainly in the bustling West – Saskatoon (35.4), Calgary (35.8), Edmonton (36.0) and Regina (36.9).

However, high-tech hub Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (36.9) also stood out, in the East, and Toronto (37.9) wasn’t too shabby on the youth front either.

For more articles by Alex Carrick on the Canadian and U.S. economies, please see his market insights. Mr. Carrick also has an economics blog. His lifestyle blog is at www.alexcarrick.com

To see Alex Carrick and other economists with expertise in the construction industry in person, register for the CanaData Construction Industry Forecasts , scheduled September 22 at the Liberty Grand in Toronto.