I'm often asked about different sectors of the workforce, but once in a while there are questions that I just can't answer. I was asked one of those the other day and I thought I'd share my response with you.

The question was "What is the current unemployment rate in the automotive sector in Waterloo Region?" You know, at first, it sounds straightforward but it is not.

In reality, the sector is comprised of workers from a number of industries. E.g. several local manufacturing industries, retail, etc are all impacted by, and/or considered part of, the automotive sector and its supply chain. Even when we look at manufacturing industries which were traditionally linked with supplying the auto sector, many are now also diversifying into other products to lessen their dependency on the auto sector. This only waters down our ability to define exactly which workers are employed in the sector even further.

I can tell you that local manufacturing employment in general in September was up from August by about 1500 but still about 4000 less than in September 2008.  Short and long term restructuring in manufacturing has meant that many of those jobs which could be shed, have been, and unfortunately those workers lacking higher skill sets will likely be among the casualties of this dynamic shift.

As our unemployment rate starts a slow recovery, and with a key focus on workforce planning, I can't help but be concerned for those impacted by the changes in the automotive sector. We know they're there, if only we could identify exactly where?

If you have any comments or thoughts you'd like to share, do not hesitate to contact me at carol@workforceplanningboard.com