York Region employment grew 4.7% to 615,760 jobs in 2022

Newmarket – The Regional Municipality of York released its 2022 Employment and Industry Report showing strong recovery and job growth in York Region over the past two years.

"Business and job growth are fundamental to York Region's economic vitality, an important guiding pillar in our recently approved Strategic Plan," said York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. "The increase in job and business growth across York Region over the last three years is a testament to the resilience of the Region’s economy. We will continue to work together with the business community to attract and retain businesses and high-quality, well-paying jobs across a broad range of sectors for York Region residents.”

Over 33,000 York Region businesses with a physical location were surveyed in 2022, totalling an estimated 615,760 jobs, a 4.7% growth since 2019.

Highlights of the 2022 Employment and Industry report include:

• 27,620 net new jobs created since 2019; 6,950 jobs in the health care sector alone 
• 82% of York Region businesses are categorized as small businesses, having less than 20 employees 
• York Region’s economy and businesses continue to shift toward more knowledge-based and service-oriented jobs; aligned with national and provincial trends 
• Industries showing the largest growth since 2019 include manufacturing, health care and social assistance, real estate, professional, scientific and technical services, providing a variety of employment options 
• 11.7% increase in real estate; the fastest annual growth sector since 2012

“York Region remains a thriving economic hub for talent and opportunity,” said City of Richmond Hill Regional Councillor Joe DiPaola, Chair of the Region’s Planning and Economic Development. “We know many local businesses were negatively impacted through the COVID-19 pandemic, including some forced to close or chose to relocate outside of York Region. While we continue to recover, the optimistic growth of our overall business community demonstrates why York Region remains a desirable place to live, work and invest.”

In 2022, York Region surveyed 33,110 physical businesses through the York Region employment survey. The survey collects employment data and provides a snapshot of York Region’s economy while comparing data over time to identify trends. The information collected through the survey is valuable for the Region and local municipalities to continue supporting economic vitality and to inform long-term employment land needs, infrastructure requirements and business directories.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses had employees working remotely, while others were closed to the public or had to adjust their service offerings. Due to these factors and other impacts to the economy, the number of current in-person jobs is the benchmark for employment in the Region and previous years surveys were adjusted for accurate readings and comparison from a pre-pandemic state.

To support further economic growth, York Region assesses the supply of employment lands that provide job growth opportunities. The 2022 Vacant Employment Land Inventory report shows almost 2,400 hectares of employment land is available across all nine cities and towns, with 85% of this vacant land serviced and ready to support new development and approximately 40% of these lands have applications underway.

Most of the Region’s vacant employment land is located within minutes of a major highway and almost half is within 500 metres of a transit stop. These vacant employment lands are key drivers of future economic development and can accommodate a range of uses such as manufacturing, warehousing, major office buildings, and supporting commercial, institutional and knowledge-based industries.

For more information on economic development and available resources to grow a business, visit YorkLink.ca or the York Small Business Enterprise Centre.

For additional information on York Region’s employment statistics, visit york.ca/census

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to more than 1.2 million residents and 55,600 businesses with more than 615,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/regionalservices

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Media Contact:

Stephanie Crowley, Corporate Communications,
The Regional Municipality of York Phone: 289-763-2598
Email: @email