economic development strategy and action plan 2009 ... - City of Barrie

• Barrie’s labour force grew by 27.3% between 2001
and 2006 with the highest proportion of its workforce
employed in manufacturing, followed by retail, health
care and social assistance, and construction sectors.
• Labour force is primarily employed in sales and
service occupations (28%); trades, transport and
equipment operators (17%); and business, finance
and administration (16%). Though there has been
substantial growth in occupations in social sciences,
education, government services and religion; trades,
transport + equipment operators; health; sales +
service; and business + finance.
• Educational attainment is high for those with a college
diploma (23.6%) but low for those with university degrees (13.1%). Major fields of study include:
business, management and public administration; architecture, engineering, and related
technologies; health, parks, recreation and fitness.
• 60% of Barrie’s labour force work in Barrie. Of note, 8% commute to Toronto. The remaining
commuting force stay within Simcoe County and/or York Region. Industries with particularly high
out commuting include: manufacturing, public administration, and transportation and
warehousing.
• Much of the city’s recent employment growth has been fuelled by the growth in demand for
services attributed to the strong rate of population growth in the city and surrounding region as
well as the GTA (e.g. construction, health care, retail trade, public administration).
Business Sectors/Growth
• An analysis of Barrie’s business and industry specialization reveals that the city has a
concentration of labour in: construction (LQ 1.26); retail trade (LQ 1.22); public administration (LQ
1.15); transportation and warehousing (LQ 1.13); and accommodation + food services.
• The number of businesses has increased 55.6% between 1998
and 2009, with growth in: retail trade; health care and social
assistance; professional, scientific and technical services;
construction; and other services (personal and business
services). Manufacturing only comprised 8.2% of all
businesses.
• Businesses employing less than 5 people account for 72.8% of
all businesses and were responsible for over 80% of all
business growth between 1998 and 2009.
SMEs: 72.8% of Barrie
businesses employ less than
5 people and account for
80% of business growth
• The knowledge-based economy or creative class are the major source of wealth creation and
economic growth, but Barrie (with 30.1% of these occupations) lags behind Ontario and other
comparator communities.
City of Barrie Economic Development Strategy 7 | P age