Welcome to Durham Workforce Authority
Have Your Say – take the 2024 Workforce Survey today!
We’re surveying Durham’s workforce to understand the current employment landscape and identify opportunities to support residents in finding and maintaining employment in the Durham Region.
Survey Ad (Facebook Ad) by Durham Workforce Authority
Workforce Survey
Labour Market Plan
The Durham Workforce Authority develops an annual labour market planning document that provides new and emerging actions, including a three-year outlook. This just-in-time labour market information addresses both immediate labour market issues and provides data-driven recommendations to address emerging challenges for the workforce in the Durham Region.
Durham Workforce Survey
The DWA surveys the supply and demand for labour in our Region in alternating years. An employer survey was completed in 2023, and a survey of residents will be conducted in 2024. This survey is designed to gather insights from residents of Durham Region regarding their skills, current employment status, and employment goals. It is a key aspect of understanding the dynamic workforce landscape, and the results will inform future workforce development strategies, educational programs, and employment initiatives based on the identified needs and aspirations of Durham Region residents.
Community Service Planning
The DWA is convening stakeholders throughout the Region to develop a deliberate and streamlined approach to service planning at the community level. This will reduce ineffective and overlapping activities by providing a structured approach to achieving goals and objectives. Through planning, organizations can identify and allocate resources efficiently, set priorities, and coordinate activities to avoid duplication of efforts while delivering tangible results for residents of Durham Region.
Engaging Youth in Precision Agriculture
With the DWA’s support, Durham Farm Connections and Invest Durham co-hosted a Precision Agriculture Day in May. This event engaged students from the Specialist High Skills Majors programs offered through school boards in the Region to better understand the in-demand occupations in this important agriculture subsector. Students learned about the available education and employment pathways through hands-on participation and presentations.
Precision agriculture uses technology to grow crops efficiently, leveraging data that enables farmers to decide how to manage their land. This improves operational productivity, reduces waste, and improves environmental sustainability.
To learn more, check out:
Blog: Drones in Precision Agriculture
Blog: Precision Agriculture at Algoma Orchards
Clip of Global News Durham’s coverage of the event:
Design by Durham Workforce Authority
NEW! Quarterly Labour Market Insights Report
Our Jobs First Durham system allows the Durham Workforce Authority to extract labour market information directly from jobs posted in the Durham Region. It scans more than 50 of the top employment websites to extract wage, skill, location and other relevant data, providing reliable and local information on what employers and job seekers need.
Our interactive Labour Market Insights tool enables everyone in our community to understand what’s happening in Durham’s workforce. This real-time information supports the data-driven decision-making that empowers community stakeholders to continue developing a robust and sustainable local workforce.
To further support the community’s efforts at making data-driven decisions, the DWA has developed a new printer-friendly version of the report that will be released quarterly and annually. We’ve included some highlights of the most recent month and a link to the most recent quarterly report below.
Check out the January to March 2024 Durham Region Labour Market Insights Report
Labour Market Information (LMI) Video Series
Here at DWA, we have created a video series all about LMI to inform the community about the importance of LMI and to provide Employment Ontario Service Providers, Economic Development and Chambers of Commerce, Community Partners, Employers, and Job Seekers with access to timely LMI data and analysis.
The 11 videos include, but are not limited to: the eight indicators, the monthly labour force survey data for Oshawa CMA, local custom data that are legacy pieces from the LEPC, and other critical pieces of labour market information in an accessible format.
Click any of the titles below to watch the video, or click here to view the whole playlist!
2. Key Components of Labour Fore Survey
4. DWA 101
6. Durham Region Key Sectors Overview
7. Durham Region Key Sectors and Employment Levels (1/2) 
8. Durham Region Key Sectors and Employment Levels (2/2)
9. Basic Labour Market Indicators Overview
10. Basic Labour Market Indicators (1/2)
11. Basic Labour Market Indicators (2/2)
What's Happening
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Overcoming Barriers to Employment for People with Disabilities in Durham Region
In the Durham Region, the unemployment rate for youth with disabilities is disproportionately high. The 2020 unemployment rate for youth (ages 15-24) reached a peak of …
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How Local Businesses Can Benefit from Hiring Individuals with Disabilities
How Local Businesses Can Benefit from Hiring Individuals with Disabilities Inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce is not only a social responsibility but …
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Understanding the Importance of Disability Employment Awareness Month in Durham Region
Understanding the Importance of Disability Employment Awareness in Durham Region October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in Canada, a time to raise awareness …