The Windsor census metropolitan area posted the best real-time business conditions index score in Canada last week and set a local record in the process.
The area continued a surge that began in April to reach 585.31 for the week of August 12th. It’s the 15th time in the past 18 weeks the Windsor CMA has topped the 500 mark in Statistics Canada’s weekly index.
“Windsor has been cited across Canada as a place with the highest levels of business activity and this data proves that,” said Workforce WindsorEssex CEO Justin Falconer. “We’ve added 8,900 net jobs since January, including another 2,000 last month.
“If you look at the (index) numbers compared to the previous August (2023), we’re up 43 per cent.”
Statistics Canada uses the real-time business conditions recorded on Aug. 10, 2020 as the base measurement against which all economic growth or contraction is measured in the nation’s major CMA’s. That month was given the base score of 100, meaning the Windsor area’s economy is now nearly six times more active.
The index uses a variety of data sources in its measurement including Google’s Places API (businesses closures), TomTom Real-time traffic API (road traffic data) and Statistics Canada data on monthly retail, wholesale and business registers.
Windsor’s index has climbed steadily upward since February 2023 when the level slipped to 273.99. The local index has more than doubled in the past 18 months.
“A few sectors are doing really well in the last six months,” said Falconer, who noted active local job listings have jumped by a third since January to 6,429 postings.
“Professional, scientific and technical services have added 1,836 jobs, an increase of 22 per cent. Health and social services have grown by 2,915 jobs (10.4 per cent).”
Falconer added there has also been a burst of construction activity since last summer.
There are now 13,800 people working in local construction, an increase of 4,000 jobs or 41 per cent since last August.
“Mid-sized communities like Windsor, that aren’t rural and disconnected (digitally) and have amenities, are much better off (since the pandemic),” Falconer said.
“People are leaving mega cities. We’ve also become a magnet for the migration of people since the LG/Stellantis (battery plant) announcement.
“Historically, Windsor’s population has always done well based on the auto industry. This is just the next generation of the auto industry developing.”
Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Rakesh Naidu said the addition of 32,000 people in Windsor and Essex County in 2023 has generated a lot of new economic activity.
“It’s a sign of things to come,” Naidu said.
“Our core industries, the investments made and small businesses are all in place to the point where we’ll see better days and further improvements. The business environment here is very positive.”
Naidu feels what we’re now seeing is the region being one of the earliest communities in Canada to emerge from the hangover of the post-Covid economy. Aside from sharing that positive news with outsiders, Naidu said it should be shared with locals who are often the region’s harshest critics.
“We’re turning the corner,” Naidu said. “It may not seem like that right now to those looking for a job, but the big investments are starting to benefit us.
“You can see it now in the construction, retail and transportation sectors doing better. You’ll see it in the automotive sector as it settles down and OEMs move forward with long-term plans.
“The expected interest rate cuts will only further propel our economy. You’re going to see more confidence, more jobs, more investment and more opportunities.”