The EmployerOne Survey was conducted for the first time in January 2015 for the Four County Area which includes the Counties of Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth. In total, 222 businesses completed the survey, representing 14,297 employees. The business respondents provided valuable insights regarding their labour outlook. While businesses face many obstacles, the goal of the survey is to understand their labour market
challenges in order to provide direction on activities and initiatives that will minimize labour issues.

General Labour Market Conditions

While Four County Area businesses have unique labour needs, the general conditions of the local labour market set the stage for survey responses. In 2014, the local labour market consisted of 158,600 persons: an estimated 151,000 residents were employed and 7,600 residents were unemployed (unable to find employment). Four County’s 4.8 percent unemployment rate (in 2014) is considerably lower than Ontario’s 7.3 percent, suggesting a much tighter supply of local labour.