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Numerical error shakes Barrie commuting study

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In Council Watch
Mar 26th, 2015
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By Laurie Watt Barrie Advance

Simcoe County staff have found an error in a $380,000 study on the labour force — a study that said the county is a net importer of workers.

Two weeks ago, the county released the final labour market study report by Miller Dickinson Blais that examined commuting patterns and skills of those who do commute in and out of Barrie, Orillia and Simcoe County.

“County staff identified the error after the report was presented to committee of the whole on March 10,” Ontario Works director Jamie Moran said.

It was a report that made headlines as it claimed to shatter the myth that we live in bedroom communities that serve the GTA.

The report cited that 33,190 of us leave Simcoe County for work each day, as we head south, to places such as Newmarket, Vaughan and Mississauga. By contrast, it said 63,745 people come into Simcoe County to work each day.

The report also cited that  131,500 of us live and work inside the county’s boundaries.

The county would not say what numbers are erroneous or how inaccurate they are, only that it has ordered the consultant to review all its numbers and report back to county council.

“We have asked the consultant to reconfirm and revalidate all data in the (final) report and provide an updated document,” Moran said, adding the extra work will not cost taxpayers more.

Word of the error shocked Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman late last week.

“I don’t know if the numbers are off a little or whether there was some other issue,” said Lehman. “I was alarmed.”

Lehman examined Statistics Canada data about Barrie’s labour force in 2011 and confirmed Barrie was not a bedroom community for the GTA.

“Sixty-two per cent work in Barrie, 18 per cent work in Simcoe County and 19 per cent commute out of the county,” he said.

While he sits on Simcoe County’s committee of the whole, he does not know the nature of the consultant’s error,.

“At least they’re fixing it. I’m looking forward to what the new numbers are.”

Study shatters Barrie’s commuter-town myth

By Laurie Watt Barrie Advance March 12 2015

Barrie and Simcoe County are not bedrooms for the GTA, a new labour market study reveals.

That’s just one of several common myths the study debunks.

Despite what you see on Hwy. 400 each morning, as cars fill the southbound lanes for hours, the reality is more people are coming into our communities to work than leaving.

The report released Tuesday found 33,190 of us leave Simcoe County for work each day. Many travel to Newmarket, Vaughan and Mississauga to high-skilled technical jobs that don’t exist locally.

By contrast, 63,745 people come into Simcoe County to work each day, where we have lots of jobs.

“Barrie is not a bedroom community but rather an employment destination,” said Stephannie Schlichter, manager of the Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre.

The study indicates 61.5 per cent of Barrie workers do so in the city.

“Phase one of this study included talks with employers within Simcoe County, most of whom indicated that they were not losing workers to other areas because workers like the lifestyle, recreational opportunities and the reasonable commute when compared to the GTA/Toronto,” Schlichter said.

The cost of commuting — in terms of time and money — also more than outweighs the wage gap.

“People have always said to me — and you see the discussions on Facebook — there’s a big salary gap,” said Mayor Jeff Lehman. “It’s 3.6 per cent. That’s not a huge gap, if you consider the cost of living.”

The top destination for Barrie commuters is Vaughan, followed by New Tecumseth  (where Honda is located), then Innisfil.

Ontario Works director Jamie Moran added the commuting and wage statistics surprised labour market training officers and economic development officers who gathered to discuss the data and come up with ideas on how to address unfilled jobs and grow the workforce.

“The point is to create a labour market that’s robust,” Moran said, so we have more jobs locally, with opportunities for entry — for high school grads and Ontario Works recipients — and advancement for those who want to live and work here.

“There is an abundance of training opportunities. We have a robust training program but not everyone knows of (programs) and how to access them,” he said.

“Many (jobs) require apprenticeship certificates or diplomas. University is critical for people looking at some of the more specialized employment opportunities, particularly in the health care and technical sectors.”

The study suggests creating a high skills major program for manufacturing and encouraging manufacturing employers to be a partner in apprenticeships and skills upgrading for employees, which is key to creating a healthy labour market, which further attracts investment.

Of the top-40 in-demand occupations, only eight require a university education.

“Overall, the study provides us with a tool to better understand our local labour force,” said Schlichter, and “we will be seeking to apply some of our strategic work to support our business retention and attraction efforts.”

One Response to “Numerical error shakes Barrie commuting study”

  1. B San says:

    Is it really a numerical error, or does this statistic finally explain why it is so hard for residents with vast amounts of education and skills to obtain a good job in this community. Turns out surrounding areas including North Toronto are bedroom communities for Simcoe County!! I hate to see job vacancies being used as ”currency” but that too appears to be part of the problem. There is so much rivalry, jealousy and territoriality over jobs in this community, that if a local person applies, there chances are already reduced. Bring in an outside person, even if the local person has more skills and qualifications. I have always wondered why I see so many people driving up this way in the mornings … and now I know why!

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