The Lanark-North Leeds area offers an excellent available pool of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour in an environment that it characterized by low levels of union activity. Wage rates are highly competitive and generally lower than those demanded in the nearby City of Ottawa. Local employers rate our work force as very efficient and displaying a work ethic not usually found in large urban centres.

Lanark-North Leeds Population Facts:

• Area population is 92,622 and growing rapidly

• Labour force is approximately 49,808

• Residents are predominantly English-speaking

• Equal distribution of urban and rural residents

• High levels of post-secondary education

• Most jobs are in manufacturing, agriculture and tourism

Employee Loyalty

Historically, employer-employee relations in Lanark-North Leeds has been favourable, leading to low levels of labour strife and higher levels of employee loyalty. Both large and small companies enjoy the sense of community that comes with operating in a small town. Our employees tend to stay at the same place of work longer and do less "job-hopping" than in large urban centres. Also, because of the high quality of life, employees in the area are less transient - they live and work here because they want to be here.

Education

Lanark-North Leeds is served by campuses of both Algonquin and St. Lawrence College, and a variety of private colleges and applied learning centres. Through these institutions, residents have access to numerous business, trades, technology and communications programs. Other educational facilities such as Carleton University, University of Ottawa, Queens University, University of Guelph (Kemptville Campus) and other campuses of Algonquin and St. Lawrence are all within driving distance. High-speed internet availability throughout the area also enables residents to complete distance education learning through on-line courses and video conferencing.

Assistance for Employers

A variety of programs are available for employers to encourage them to hire new employees. Assistance is generally designed to help offset wages or training-related costs. For more information, click on "Training Incentives" and "Wage Subsidies" in the menu bar.

For more local labour market information, visit these resources:

• Human Resources & Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) - Labour Market Information

• Statistics Canada - Community Profiles

• 1000 Islands Region Workforce Development Board

Local Studies / Statistics

The following statistical and demographic reports are available for download:

Economic and Social Profile of the Lanark-North Leeds Region (PDF, 592 KB)

Lanark County Economic Development Assessment Study, commissioned by Valley Heartland CFDC (PDF, 134 KB).

For more regional statistical information, please visit the Lanark County, North Leeds or Leeds & Grenville websites. For information on specific municipalities in our service area, follow the links to the Municipal websites. Other statistic data is available at Statistics Canada.