Employment Looking Forward
In November, when President Donald Trump announced his intentions to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States, the Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) took notice. Today, the United States is poised to impose tariffs on Canada that include automotive and other goods. The US has imposed 25 per cent tariffs on:
- All Canadian goods
- An added 25 percent on steel and aluminum imports
- 10 percent on energy imports.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated that these tariffs could impact employment, potentially resulting in the loss of around 500,000 jobs. Given the unpredictability of the US government, tariff amounts of either 10 or 25 percent, tariff lengths of several months or years, and the sectors that become the president’s focus, which could change on a whim, the impact on the labour market could be significant.
Workers at Risk
The Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) is focused on the labour market impacts of the proposed tariffs. Durham has approximately 4500 workers in the transportation and equipment manufacturing sector, which includes motor vehicles, shipbuilding and aerospace manufacturing. Durham also has workers in steel and aluminum manufacturing and machine shops. It is estimated that there are 2600 workers in this sector. The DWA is tracking sector changes as these tariffs roll out.
Layoffs
Economists and the Premier have suggested that job losses in Ontario may occur as tariffs are implemented. If you believe you might be impacted, don’t wait until you receive a layoff notice to act. There are services and supports available to help you transition to other employment or training opportunities; most of these supports are free or have low-cost registration fees.
Lakeview Hub
The DWA operates an employment support hub at 799 Douglas Street, Oshawa, on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You can meet with an employment counsellor and register for a free Jobs First Durham account. Drop-ins welcome, come for a coffee.
Jobs First Durham
If you need your resume updated and want to search for jobs in Durham, Jobs First Durham is a free job search portal that aggregates Durham Region jobs from 50 job sites, making it more efficient to search for local jobs. You can find the top skills local employers need, and the site has a free resume and cover letter builder.
Academic Upgrading
If you have education that is more than ten years old, you may need a refresher before transitioning to other employment or training. The Literacy Network of Durham Region coordinates academic upgrading in Durham Region, and you can visit them every Wednesday at the Lakeview Hub. You can explore e-learning options through E-learning Ontario, part-time programs at Durham College, and programs offered by Durham Continuing Education.
Library Resources
Grab a library card to access free resources like LinkedIn Learning. Most libraries offer this service, and your library card is all you need. Go get one today.
Please see links below:
Lakeview Hub
Jobs First Durham
https://durhamworkforceauthority.ca/jobs-first-durham/
Literacy Network of Durham Region
Elearning Ontario
https://courses.elearningontario.ca/d2l/loginh/
Durham College
https://www.durhamcollege.ca/academic-faculties/professional-and-part-time-learningDurham
Continuing Education
https://www.ddsb.ca/en/programs-and-learning/adult-and-continuing-education.aspx
Service System Manager
https://www.durham.ca/en/employment-services/introduction.aspx
About the DWA:
The DWA provides just-in-time custom labour market information and often conducts custom fee-for-service research. If you are interested in local data, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the DWA.
The Province of Ontario partially funds the DWA to supply Labour Market Information (LMI) to the Region of Durham.