The Liberal record on job creation by industrial sector

Today on the Ontario campaign trail, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak was indicting the Liberal governments of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne for letting 300,000 manufacturing jobs disappear on their watch. Now, while I was critical of Hudak and the PCs earlier this week for vastly overstating the number of “out of work” Ontarians, Hudak is pretty much spot-on with this latest number. Since October, 2003, when McGuinty took the reigns for the first time, Ontario has, in fact, seen 314,500 manufacturing jobs disappear. That’s what Statistics Canada says.

I was curious which industrial sectors fared worst or better during the Liberal reign and so I crunched the numbers from Statscan for three time periods: Since the McGuinty liberals first won office in October 2003; since the last Ontario election in Oct 2011 (the McGuinty/Wynne years) and the last 12 months. The most recent month for which data is available is April 2014.

Some observations: Manufacturing is among leading decliners in all three measuring periods. In the ast 12 months, there have been relatively high job losses in both “educational services” and in “public administration” — those would be public sector jobs. (Public sector includes municipal and federal employees as well as provincial employees). While manufacturing has been hit hard during the Liberal years, so has agriculture, particularly since the 2011 general election. Something to think about next time you see the premier doing a photo op on a tractor.

Here’s the scorecard:

SINCE OCTOBER 2003

Best job growth (on percentage basis)

1. Professional, scientific and technical services +36% (157,100 new jobs)
2. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas +35.2% (9,600 new jobs)
3. Health care and social assistance +30.8% (188,800 new jobs)
4. Educational services +30.3% (118,000 new jobs)
5. Construction +22.7% (85,500)

Worst job growth (on percentage basis)

1. Manufacturing -29% (Lost 314,500 jobs)
2. Goods-producing sector -13.4% (Lost 217,100 jobs)
3. Utilities -1.7% (Lost 1,000 jobs)
4. Agriculture +3.3% (3,300 new jobs)
5. Information, culture and recreation +8.1% (24,800 new jobs)

ALL JOBS IN ONTARIO: +11% or +686,700

SINCE OCTOBER 2011 (McGuinty Wynne years)

Best job growth (on percentage basis)

1. Other services +10.3% or +27,700 jobs
2. Business, building and other support services +6.8% or 20,500 jobs
3. Educational services +6.6% or 31,400 jobs
4. Trade +6.4% or 63,000 jobs
5. Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing +5.6% or 27,600 jobs.

Worst job growth (on percentage basis)

1. Agriculture -10.7% or -10,000 jobs
2. Public Administraion -7.7% or -30,300 jobs
3. Accommodation and Food Services -1.8% or – 7,400 jobs
4. Manufacturing -1.5% or -11,900 jobs
5. Information, culture, and recreation -1.1% or -3,700 jobs.

ALL JOBS IN ONTARIO: +2.8% or +189,800.

LAST 12 MONTHS (APR 2013-APR 2014)

Best job growth (on percentage basis)

1. Other services 11.1% of +29,600 jobs
2. Utilities: +10.1% or +5,200
3. Information, culture and recreation +8.4% or +25,700
4. Business, building and other support services +4.4% or +13,400
5. Trade +3.8% or +38.700

Worst job growth (on percentage basis)

1. Accommodation and food services -6.5% or -28,100
2. Public Administration -4.5% or -16,900
3. Educational services -2.6% or -13,800
4. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas -2.6% or -1,000
5. Manufacturing -2.5% or -19,600

ALL JOBS IN ONTARIO: +1.1% or +73,500