The Workforce Behind the Premiums
In July of last year, Toronto experienced severe torrential rains that tested the city’s infrastructure, causing widespread flooding and damage. This incident served as a stark reminder of the insurance industry’s vital role in urban resilience, acting not only as a financial safety net but also as a crucial support in times of disaster. The event resulted in CA$940 million in insured losses, highlighting the importance of comprehensive climate risk coverage. Our report, “The Workforce Behind the Premiums: Insurance Industry Labour Market Dynamics in Toronto,” builds on this backdrop to detail the insurance industry’s role in the local economy, focusing on its influence on employment and business operations. It offers an extensive review of key segments within the industry- Insurance Carriers and Agencies and Brokerages and the prevailing job roles. As a valuable tool for policymakers, industry leaders, professionals, and career counselors this report aims to provide insights that can help navigate the complexities of the insurance industries in Toronto.
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Missing Pieces
Late last year, TWIG was asked by several organizations to examine data related to persons with criminal records. What we quickly discovered was a significant paucity of data—only small snapshots, secondary sources, and fragmented statistics were available to capture the full scope of challenges in Canada’s criminal justice system.
Labour Market Insight 2025
The 2025 Local Labour Market Plan is intended to be a guiding map for workforce strategic actions needed in Toronto. The annual review is a process that starts with a review of the latest labour market trends observed internationally, nationally, provincially, and regionally. It continues with a set of community conversations in which stakeholders are invited to express their opinions about the progress of the regional labour market and the needed initiatives for correcting the challenges or taking advantage of opportunities.
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Workforce Diversity Profile
Toronto has the largest labour force in Canada, with one of the most educated and skilled workforces in North America. Our workers are an incredible asset in attracting new businesses and driving economic development. However, many workers in Toronto face systemic barriers to full workforce participation, preventing them from sharing in the City’s prosperity.
TWIG’s Inclusion profiles derived from the 2021 Census, yield considerable information on the income, education, occupations, and sectors for each of the above groups. These profiles provide important information that has implications for workforce policymakers and practitioners who want to design better employment supports for groups facing barriers to employment and higher income in the City of Toronto.
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A Work in Progress: Towards $10 a day Child Care in Toronto.
The signing of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement between the Province of Ontario and Federal Government in March 2022 provided a significant opportunity to make child care more accessible and affordable to families. The $10-a-day child care initiative has successfully lowered fees, increasing access for low and middle-income families and consequently raising demand. However, challenges persist. While Toronto has seen growth in child care spaces over the past two years, the availability is hindered by challenges in recruiting qualified staff. The report highlights disparities in child care access among communities, emphasizing the ongoing efforts required to enhance the effectiveness of the initiative. It acknowledges that the current state of the initiative is a work in progress.
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Quality of Life, or Quality of Work? The Great Resignation in Ontario
The Great Resignation is a phrase that describes record numbers of people leaving their jobs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many labour market observers see the Great Resignation as a once-in-a-generation change to the way workers find a better work-life balance. Indeed, the Great Resignation is viewed by many as one of the major factors behind our ongoing labour shortages. While the Great Resignation remains an ongoing narrative, recently some U.S. studies have cast doubt on the nature and depth of the Great Resignation.
This paper, using Canadian Labour Force Survey (LFS) data, seeks to determine whether the phenomenon occurred in Ontario.
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Business Licenses as an Early Indicator of Future Jobs
May Labour Lowdown: Toronto’s Labour Market at a Crossroad.
Stats Canada Data Visualizations