The 2022 Employment and Industry Report shows strong recovery and job growth in York Region over the past two years. The report was released by the Regional Municipality of York Region.
“Business and job growth are fundamental to York Region’s economic vitality, an important guiding pillar in our recently approved Strategic Plan,” York Region CEO Wayne Emmerson said. “The increase in job and business growth across York Region over the last three years is a testament to the resilience of the region’s economy. We will continue to work together with the business community to attract and retain businesses and high-quality, well-paying jobs across a broad range of sectors for York Region residents.”
Over 33,000 York Region businesses with a physical location were surveyed in 2022, totalling an estimated 615,760 jobs, a 4.7 per cent growth since 2019.
Highlights of the 2022 Employment and Industry report include:
- 27,620 net new jobs created since 2019; 6,950 jobs in the health care sector alone.
- 82 per cent of York Region businesses are categorized as small businesses, having less than 20 employees.
- York Region’s economy and businesses continue to shift toward more knowledge-based and service-oriented jobs; aligned with national and provincial trends.
- Industries showing the largest growth since 2019 include manufacturing; health care and social assistance; real estate; professional, scientific and technical services, providing a variety of employment options.
- 11.7 per cent increase in real estate; the fastest annual growth sector since 2012.
In 2022, York Region surveyed 33,110 physical businesses through the York Region employment survey. The survey collects employment data and provides a snapshot of York Region’s economy while comparing data over time to identify trends. The information collected through the survey is valuable for the region and local municipalities to continue supporting economic vitality and to inform long-term employment land needs, infrastructure requirements and business directories.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses had employees working remotely, while others were closed to the public or had to adjust their service offerings. Due to these factors and other impacts to the economy, the number of current in-person jobs is the benchmark for employment in the region and previous years’ surveys were adjusted for accurate readings and comparison from a pre-pandemic state.
To support further economic growth, York Region assesses the supply of employment lands that provide job growth opportunities. The 2022 Vacant Employment Land Inventory report shows almost 2,400 hectares of employment land is available across all nine cities and towns, with 85 per cent of this vacant land serviced and ready to support new development and approximately 40 per cent of these lands have applications underway.
Most of the region’s vacant employment land is located within minutes of a major highway and almost half is within 500 metres of a transit stop. These vacant employment lands are key drivers of future economic development and can accommodate a range of uses such as manufacturing, warehousing, major office buildings, and supporting commercial, institutional and knowledge-based industries.
For additional information on York Region’s employment statistics, visit york.ca/census.
