BMO: Let's Create 4,000 Jobs Together in Sudbury by 2016

SUDBURY, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 05/31/12 -- The next four years will bring 4,000 new jobs to Sudbury, according to a new report released today by BMO Capital Markets Economics.

The report on Sudbury is the latest in a series of economic and business overviews for various cities across Canada that will be published by BMO throughout the year.

"BMO's latest economic snapshot on Greater Sudbury shows us that our economy is still going strong and will for the next few years to come," stated Mayor Marianne Matichuk. "With an estimated 4,000 new jobs projected by the end of 2016, this is great news for our residents."

"Businesses in Sudbury are driving forward with plans to invest in their operations, in new equipment, in expansion and in hiring people," said Steve DeMarco, Commercial Banking Area Manager, Central Northern Ontario District, BMO Bank of Montreal. "They are looking for capital to expand and create jobs; they are looking for a degree of certainty that funds will be available when they need them. I believe that BMO's commitment to make $10 billion in credit available for businesses in Canada over the next few years can make a big difference to companies looking to invest across the region. My roots run deep in Greater Sudbury and I am excited for what lies ahead."

"BMO's economic report on Greater Sudbury serves as confirmation to what many in our community are seeing - a city that's on the move," said Debbi Nicholson, President and CEO, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. "Our resource-based industries and their supply and services sector are leading this boom; the ripple effect of this economic activity is already being felt and will continue to have a positive impact on our economy. We anticipate a rosy outlook for several years to come."

"Employment in Sudbury has recouped all of the declines suffered during the recession," said Robert Kavcic, Economist, BMO Capital Markets. "The city's small labour pool makes statistics like the jobless rate volatile, but the underlying trend is clearly improving. Even at 7.2 per cent, Sudbury's jobless rate remains below that for all of Ontario, a feat recently achieved in 2007, and a stark turnaround from about 15 years of a consistently-high local unemployment rate. Surging commodity prices and their positive impact on mining have been a major driver of the relative improvement. Looking out over the medium term, Sudbury's unemployment rate should drift down toward 6 per cent by 2016, about half a percentage point below the Ontario average and back near the pre-recession lows."

Resource sector

--  Rising base metal prices and demand over the past decade has been a boon
    for the key mining sector. 
--  Nearly 10 per cent of Sudbury's workforce is directly employed in the
    mining sector, with the impact much larger when considering related
    manufacturing and service activities. 
--  Recent announcements point to continued growth in the sector going
    forward. Vale is in the midst of a five-year, $10 billion, investment in
    its Canadian operations, and Cliffs Natural Resources recently announced
    it will spend more than $3 billion to mine chromite - a key ingredient
    in stainless steel - in Northern Ontario's 'Ring of Fire'. The company
    will build a processing facility near Sudbury, costing almost $2 billion
    and expected to add 450 construction jobs, and ultimately 450 permanent
    jobs, when in operation.

Population Growth

--  Population growth has slowed to slightly above zero in recent months,
    but the performance in recent years has been historically strong. 
--  The city has enjoyed positive population growth in each of the past 10
    years, after a prolonged stretch of outright declines during much of the
    1990s.

Real Estate

--  Housing demand has been firm in recent years, spurred by positive
    population growth. As a result, housing starts totalled nearly 600 units
    in the latest twelve months, near the highest level in 17 years. 
--  The resale housing market is also strong, with existing sales up 14.1
    per cent year-over-year in the 12 months through April, pushing average
    prices to a record level of more than $240,000. Still, affordability
    remains relatively attractive in the city, with prices averaging
    slightly more than three times the estimated median family income, miles
    below valuations currently seen in Ontario's bigger cities. 

The full report is available upon request.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly-diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $525 billion as at April 30, 2012, and more than 46,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.