Blog

Business closures in non-metro Ontario to April, 2020

Date: August 19, 2020

To see the impact of COVID-19 on business closures, Statistics Canada has recently published “experimental data” on active business, business openings and business closures.

In non-metro Ontario, from January to April, 2020, the number of active businesses declined by 5,800 businesses – a decline of 12% (marginally less than the 13% decline in metro areas). This decline was due to 18% fewer businesses openings and 243% more business closures.

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The impact of COVID-19 on rural employment up to July, 2020

Date: August 11, 2020

A special issue of “Focus on Rural Ontario” entitled COVID-19 Impact on Rural Employment: Ontario in the Canadian context up to July 2020 highlights the impact on rural Ontario with a comparison to the impact on rural employment in other provinces.

In July, the Ontario rural employment gap was less than the COVID-19 impact in urban areas (-2.7% and -7.6%, respectively). The rural gap of -2.7% is less than one-third the Canada-level gap of -8.3% and much less than the rural gap in Alberta (-15.2%) and in rural Quebec (-14.5%). 

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The impact of COVID-19 on rural employment up to June, 2020

Date: July 13, 2020

A special issue of Focus on Rural Ontario entitled COVID-19 Impact on Rural Employment: Ontario in the Canadian context up to June 2020 highlights the impact on rural Ontario with a comparison to the impact on rural employment in other provinces.  The data shows that rural labour markets in Ontario were closing the COVID-19 employment gap at a somewhat quicker pace, compared to the pace of employment growth in urban labour markets.

This special issue is a follow-up to earlier special issues with data on employment in April, 2020 and May, 2020.

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The impact of COVID-19 on rural employment up to May, 2020

Date: June 8, 2020

A new special issue of Focus on Rural Ontario presents data up to May 2020 highlighting  the impact on rural Ontario with a comparison to the impact on rural employment in other provinces.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Employment

Date: May 12, 2020

A special issue of Focus on Rural Ontario entitled COVID-19 Impact on Rural Employment: Ontario in the Canadian context highlights the impact on rural Ontario with a comparison to the impact on rural employment in other provinces from February to April, 2020.

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Importance of Community Attachment on Willingness to Return to Hometown after Graduation

Date: May 4, 2020

Newly published research examined the factors influencing students’ desire to return to their hometowns to live and work after graduation. The researchers concluded that the strongest predictor of willingness to return to one's hometown was community attachment.

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Water, Water Everywhere - Rural Ontario Foresight Papers

Date: January 28, 2020

Too much water in the system creates flooding which in turn creates many problems for elected officials. The most effective approach that both local governments and residential homeowners and landlords can take is one of prevention first. It’s much easier and less expensive to deal with problems before they arise rather than after the fact. 

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