(Niagara At Large is posting the following media release from the Ontario Liberal government for our readers’ information. NAL invites you to share your views on the content of this post in the comment area below. Please remember that we only post comments that are signed with a real name.)
January 16, 2012
Ontario Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty
The McGuinty government remains focused on jobs and the economy. Despite uncertainty around the world, Ontario’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 0.7 per cent (2.7 per cent annualized) in the third quarter (July to September 2011).
Provincial GDP has now increased 5.8 per cent over the past nine quarters, putting it one per cent above its pre-recession level.
Growth in the third quarter was driven by increases in exports and Ontario’s manufacturing output. Modest gains in total investment and consumer spending also contributed.
As of December 2011, employment was 42,300 jobs above the pre-recession peak in September 2008. Ontario’s employment has increased by 299,100 net jobs from the recessionary low in May 2009, with full-time employment up by 268,000 net jobs.
The McGuinty government’s plan to make Ontario more competitive and create the right climate for job creation is working. The plan — including Ontario’s Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth — helped stabilize the province’s economy by lowering income taxes for families and businesses and introducing tax changes — including the HST — to help ensure Ontario’s future prosperity.
QUOTES
“Ontario’s economy continues to improve despite global economic uncertainty, positioning the province to face challenges both at home and abroad. Our competitive tax system has helped make Ontario one of the most attractive places for businesses to invest and we continue to draw the attention of investors from around the globe.”
– Dwight Duncan
Minister of Finance
QUICK FACTS
121,300 net new jobs were created in Ontario in 2011, with job growth in the province accounting for more than 45 per cent of all jobs created in Canada in 2011.
- Ontario’s unemployment rate has gone down to 7.7 per cent – compared to 9.4 per cent at the height of the global recession in May 2009.
- Since December 2008, retail sales have increased by 15 per cent and are now 4.6 per cent above the pre-recession level of September 2008.
- The transportation equipment sector was the main driver of manufacturing growth, increasing six per cent in the third quarter. Auto production rebounded 6.4 per cent following a 6.6 per cent decline in the second quarter, reflecting supply chain disruptions caused by the tsunami in Japan.
- Forbes.com recently named Ontario a top destination for foreign direct investment in North America and has given the province top rankings in various areas, including job creation, tax reform and health care.
- In 2010, the province attracted a total of 127 Foreign Direct Investment projects, which created more than 11,200 jobs.
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Niagara At Large 
Politicians of all stripes love statistics, but they can be very deceiving (surprise!). For example, in 2007, 21% of workers between ages of 25-44 couldn’t find full time work; that figure is now 27%. Additionally, we have lost 26,000 full time workers. I hope I have these stats. right. The source is Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives. Also of interest is that the criterion for determining G.D.P have changed over the years, with the goal of getting “better” numbers.
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Source: http://www.behindthehnumbers.ca
“The ‘Other’ Side Of The Story”
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Maybe if our lovely Premier might identify some of the specific companies where all of these “jobs” are being created, folks who are desperate for work might have a name and phone number to call and a place to file one of their numerous applications and no longer be discouraged. Basically, if the “unemployment rate” drops, it does not mean more jobs have been made available to more workers. Many times, it is a dip in the participation of the labour force (e.g. retirees, discouraged workers, people moving from EI to welfare), or people moving to any job and in this region, it often means low wage, part-time and even self-employment for those that are eager to work, but feel there is no regular job for them. Statistics are used by these politicians to try to “back up” their ill fated policies, such as corporate tax cuts.
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Further to my above comment, with the increased number of multiple job holders in our economy, job creation has to work on steroids. For example, if only part time jobs are being created, perhaps double the number of these jobs need to be made available to new workers, so that people can at least string two or three part-time jobs together to cobble together a living.
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