Durham Region Labour Market Surveys
The concept of a skillshed analysis was created by the Institute for Decision Making at the University of Iowa in 1998. Their primary goal in developing this model was to respond to the needs of economic development groups, who were trying to form a nuanced understanding of the labour force in their area. The general goal of a skillshed analysis is to compare the experiences and skills of an area’s labour force with the reported needs of area employers. A skillshed analysis identifies and evaluates the supply and demand for labour with respect to the skills that are required to work within an occupation.
The Workforce Survey is used to measure the supply of available workers within Durham Region tapping into the skillsets, work activities, and tasks of workers. Workforce surveys generally collect the following information on individuals: age, gender, educational attainment, commuting times, labour force status, occupational and industry data, and information pertaining to wages. The Employer Survey is used to measure the demand for workers within a labourshed through examining business demographics, industry and business outlook, growth and opportunities, attraction and retention of employees, and skillset requirements.
The Durham Workforce Authority conducts the Workforce Survey and the Employer survey on alternating years. The data collected allows for analysis and discussion of both the supply and demand sides of the local labour market.
2023 Employer Survey Report
You can view our Reports below:
Durham Region Employer Survey, 2021
Durham Region Employer Survey Executive Summary, 2021 – French Language Translation
Durham Region Workforce Survey, 2020
Durham Region Employer Survey, 2019