Sector Spotlight: Transportation
The transportation & warehousing sector is focused on transporting passengers and goods, warehousing, and storing goods. This sector uses truck, transit and ground passenger, rail, water, air, and pipeline. Durham Region stands at an integral position in the transport activities of this economic region and benefits from several multi-modal transport systems such as three 400 series highways, provincial roads, transit operators such as Metrolinx and Via Rail, a port, and an airport.
Transport and warehousing are one of the main sources of employment and revenue for the Durham Region, with potential for growth.
The Oshawa Executive Airport generates approximately $1.5 million in property tax revenue. Flight training, air ambulance, passenger charter services, freight services, aerial police operations, aircraft maintenance, and aircraft restoration services are all provided at the airport. The airport provides employment to approximately 215 people in various occupations.
The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority transports cargo through the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Oshawa port handled 408,000 metric tonnes of cargo in 2017. The Port estimates that 398 jobs are supported by the Port, out of which 150 jobs are directly generated by the marine cargo and vessel activity at the marine terminals.
Durham Region is emerging as a destination for distribution centers due to the availability of well-connected road networks. Employment in warehousing is growing; the following table shows the major transportation occupations in the Region:
| Occupations | Total Employed |
| 7452 Material handlers | 1,175 |
| 7511 Transport truck drivers | 1,175 |
| 7512 Bus drivers, subway operators, and other transit operators | 900 |
| 1512 Letter carriers | 385 |
| 1521 Shippers and receivers | 310 |
| 6622 Store shelf stockers, clerks, and order fillers | 225 |
| 1511 Mail, postal, and related workers | 220 |
| 1525 Dispatchers | 215 |
| 7513 Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs | 190 |
| 0731 Managers in transportation | 185 |
Census 2016 |
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In air transportation, people aged 25-44 years form 70 percent of the total employment and the rest are between 45-54 years old. Employees over 55 years and over form 30 percent of employment in the industry and with almost half of the transit and ground passenger transportation being 55 years and over.
The Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) provides local workforce information and champions workforce development initiatives unique to Durham Region.
The DWA is one of a network of 26 Workforce Planning Board areas across the province.