Paul Martin's Business Update - April 16th, 2014

Paul Martin's Business Update - April 16th, 2014

This province’s manufacturing sector is continuing on its growth path.

This segment of the economy has been on a roll in the past few years. After the slowdown of the Great Recession five years ago, manufacturers here have been producing increasingly stronger sales numbers that are now approaching $1.4 billion a month. These figures represent a 13 per cent improvement over the same period a year ago, a time that was already fairly robust.

The gain from January to February was 3.5 per cent, among the top two or three in the country and quite a contrast from Alberta which was unchanged.

Order banks are also growing which suggests the future will continue to be bright as plants have backlogs that will ensure work for an extended period. This augers well for employment in this sector and is further evidence that the provincial economy is broadening its base. Resource and commodity producers are still the dominant players in Saskatchewan but the manufacturing sector has been steadily increasing in importance, adding a bit of diversity for workers and to the economy as a whole.