Statistics for the past 10 years show northwestern Ontario had a net gain in jobs of 4.4 per cent between 1991 and 2000. The figures are for an area spanning from the Manitoba border to White River.
Although the number of high-paying forestry and mining jobs remained steady, there was a 25 per cent jump in the number of part-time positions, Human Resources Development Canada data shows. There was also a seven per cent increase in jobs in the service sector, covering doctors and accountants, and 16 per cent growth in retail and hospitality industry jobs.
The increase, according to HRDC, seemingly counters a common perception that northwestern Ontario's economy has remained stagnant for the past 10 years.