Workforce
The most significant incentive for locating in London is the overall quality of our labour force. London workers are among the most highly educated, skilled, productive and reasonably priced in the world.
The labour force in the London region is generally not predisposed to working under a collective agreement. At present, 9% of all private sector employees, including automotive OEM's, are working under collective agreements. Only 27% of London automotive parts companies are operating under collective agreements.
Labour Force: Ages 15 Years and Up
| London CMA ('000) | 2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
| Population | 378.1 |
381.3 |
385.2 |
389.5 |
407.8 |
414.7 |
417.7 |
| Labour force | 261.8 |
263.5 |
262.8 |
261.7 |
268.1 |
265.5 |
267.7 |
| Employment | 245.6 |
247.4 |
244.3 |
235.7 |
244.9 |
242.8 |
246.6 |
| Full-time | - |
198.9 |
198.9 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Part-time | - |
48.5 |
45.5 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Unemployment | 16.2 |
16.1 |
18.5 |
25.9 |
23.1 |
24.1 |
21.1 |
| Not in labour force | - |
117.8 |
122.4 |
- |
- |
- |
149.9 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% |
6.1% |
7.0% |
9.9% |
8.6% |
9.0% |
9.1% |
| Participation rate | 69.2% |
69.1% |
68.2% |
67.2% |
65.7% |
64.8% |
64.1% |
| Employment rate | 65.0% |
64.9% |
63.4% |
60.5% |
60.1% |
58.9% |
59% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Historical Review 2012
By Industry Sector
| London CMA ('000) | 2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 | |
| Total employed | 251.5 |
254.4 |
251.6 |
242.8 |
244.9 |
242.9 |
247.8 | |
| Goods-producing sector | 59.4 |
56.2 |
53.6 |
50.7 |
48.9 |
48.5 |
48.9 | |
| Agriculture | 5.1 |
3.6 |
2.9 |
2.6 |
3.2 |
2.1 |
2.5 | |
| Forestry, fishery, oil | - |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- | |
| Utilities | 1.5 |
1.7 |
1.6 |
2.0 |
- |
- |
2.2 | |
| Construction | 12.3 |
15.2 |
16.5 |
15.1 |
15.1 |
14.7 |
13.4 | |
| Manufacturing | 40.4 |
35.4 |
32.4 |
30.7 |
29.1 |
30.2 |
30.1 | |
| Services-producing sector | 192.1 |
198.2 |
198.0 |
192.1 |
196.0 |
194.4 |
198.9 | |
| Trade | 37.1 |
41.8 |
37.7 |
38.0 |
35.0 |
34.7 |
35.9 | |
| Transport/Warehousing | 9.6 |
12.3 |
11.6 |
9.2 |
11.1 |
9.7 |
11.6 | |
| Finance, insurance | 18.2 |
18.4 |
20.1 |
18.7 |
19.0 |
- |
19 | |
| Professional, scientific | 14.2 |
13.3 |
13.3 |
13.7 |
13.2 |
14.9 |
17.1 | |
| Business support services | 11.8 |
12.1 |
12.0 |
11.0 |
14.5 |
11.8 |
11.3 | |
| Educational services | 24.4 |
20.8 |
23.1 |
20.7 |
24.0 |
23.4 |
21.3 | |
| Health care | 34.0 |
33.6 |
34.5 |
36.2 |
36.5 |
36.0 |
35.9 | |
| Information, culture | 10.6 |
11.0 |
11.5 |
9.6 |
9.8 |
9.0 |
10.3 | |
| Accommodation and food | 14.5 |
16.8 |
17.2 |
15.7 |
15.7 |
14.1 |
15 | |
| Other services | 10.2 |
10.0 |
9.6 |
10.5 |
10.2 |
12.5 |
10.9 | |
| Public administration | 7.4 |
8.0 |
7.3 |
8.7 |
7.0 |
7.6 |
10.5 | |
The survey does not display industries with less than 1,500 employees.
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Historical Review 2012
Labour force in the London region
London employers draw workers from a radius of 40 km., or one-half hour of driving distance. This includes the counties of Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford and Chatham-Kent. This region collectively has a population of over 825,000 and a labour force of close to 450,000 people. A map of these counties is included in the following page. The detailed labour force data for this region is:
| Communities included | London CMA |
Middlesex County |
Elgin County |
Oxford County |
Chatham-Kent County |
Total |
| Population | 465,700 |
69,953 |
81,553 |
99,270 |
107,710 |
824,186 |
| Population, 15 years and over | 378,100 |
56,312 |
45,640 |
78,670 |
86,510 |
645,232 |
| Labour force | 261,800 |
36,960 |
41,410 |
52,190 |
54,985 |
447,345 |
| Unemployed workforce | 16,200 |
1,480 |
2,733 |
3,027 |
4,564 |
28,004 |
| Unemployment rate (%) | 6.2% |
4.0% |
6.6% |
5.8% |
8.3% |
6.2% |
| Manufacturing Employment | 48,470 |
6,220 |
12,575 |
15,930 |
15,840 |
99,035 |
| Average Employment Income | $43,925 |
$43,639 |
$39,825 |
$41,448 |
$40,947 |
$41,957 |
| London CMA | City of London, St.Thomas | |||||
| Middlesex County | Lucan, Strathroy-Caradoc | |||||
| Elgin County | Aylmer, Dutton, Southwold | |||||
| Oxford County | Woodstock, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg | |||||
| Chatham-Kent County | Chatham, Tilbury, Amherstburg | |||||
| Age Characteristics |
London Middlesex |
Elgin County |
Oxford County |
Chatham-Kent County |
Total |
| Age 15-19 | 27,800 | 6,000 | 7,230 | 8,270 | 49,300 |
| Age 20-24 | 29,380 | 4,605 | 5,740 | 6,380 | 46,105 |
| Age 25-44 | 121,055 | 23,010 | 28,015 | 29,685 | 201,765 |
| Age 45-54 | 57,235 | 11,265 | 13,505 | 15,275 | 97,280 |
| Age 55-64 | 36,365 | 8,040 | 9,260 | 10,685 | 64,350 |
| Median age of the population | 37 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 150 |
| Visible minority population | 37,255 | 1,475 | 2,045 | 4,035 | 44,810 |
Total |
159,660 | 140,913 | 151,976 | 131,150 | 583,699 |
Communities within 40-50 km. of London:
| Woodstock Ingersoll St.Thomas Dorchester Strathroy Stratford Tillsonburg Aylmer |
 |