Labour Force

Quick Bay of Quinte Facts

• Number in the Bay of Quinte labour force:
  • 51,935
• Unemployment rate:
  • April 2012- 6.7%
• Education levels:
  • close to provincial averages
• Work ethic:
  • strong
• Turnover rate:
  • low
• Labour force:
  • cooperative, flexible, business-oriented
• Wage average:
  • lower than provincial average

The greater Bay of Quinte region is home to a highly motivated labour force of 118,075 men and women with a wide range of up-to-date mechanical, industrial, computer and other skills. Their strong work ethic, low turnover and absenteeism decrease Bay of Quinte's attractively low labour costs.

In point of fact, Canada offers the second lowest manufacturing wages in the G-7-and wages in Bay of Quinte are among this country's most competitive. Unskilled labour rates here start at $10.25 an hour. The killed labour rate starts at $14.00 an hour.

To add value, Bay of Quinte organizations including the Loyalist Training & Knowledge Centre and the Academy of Learning offer training programs that improve the value of our workforce as employees of manufacturers and professional firms. And Government assistance prgrams provide training and wage support to qualified individuals. 

For more information on specific government programs which can provide training and wage support, please click on either Service Ontario, Job Connect or Career Edge, as listed below:

**Service Canada**
**Job Connect**
**Career Edge**

Bay of Quinte proudly supports fine primary and high schools, a high-quality college and corporate training facilities-and we have nearby access to fine Canadian universities, Queen's University, Trent University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

Graduates of Loyalist College possess the right skills in their discipline of choice, whether this is Business, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Environmental Science or Engineering. Courses of immediate relevance to industry include Manufacturing Engineering Technician, Manufacturing Techniques, Biofood Technician/Technology, Biotechnology Technician/Technology. 

Loyalist Training & Knowledge Centre offers training programs designed to help employees meet the needs of employers. The Centre specializes in industrial training, offering a wide range of practical technical programs as well as personal development courses and training in areas such as ISO 9000.

The Bay of Quinte Region's Top Employers are as follows: