Agri-Food/Food Processing - Workforce
The London region boasts a quality labour pool that is second to none in North America. London region companies say that our 231,000 labour force offers these strengths:
Highly Educated: London's educational institutions continue to respond to the needs of industry through programs designed to ensure a steady supply of educated workers from manufacturing engineering to skilled trade and apprenticeship programs.
Reasonable Wage Costs: Labour costs in London, including benefits, are competitive when compared to other food processing jurisdictions.
Skilld and Experienced: The London manufacturing sector employs approximately 16% of the region's workers, representing 33,300 jobs.
Rural in Origin: London draws workers from a large agricultural belt surrounding our southwestern Ontario city.
Low Employee Turnover: Workers are loyal to their employers and demonstrate their commitment with a low turnover rate. Average tenure for Ontario manufacturing jobs is 9 years.
Unionization: The labour force in the London region is generally not predisposed to working under a collective agreement. At present, 36% of all manufacturing employees are working under collective agreements.
London workers are partners in the continuing success of our agri-food sector and recognize the long term need to remain competitive with other food processing manufacturing jurisdictions.
