About York Region
York Region is located North of Toronto, Ontario and South of Lake Simcoe. It consists of the suburban and rural communities of Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Aurora, Newmarket, Stouffville, King, East Gwillimburry, and Georgina (including Keswick, Sutton, and Mount Albert). York Region is home of a diverse and fast growing population. that is projected to pass the 1 million mark in the near future. It boosts a strong employment market, being home of the Canadian headquarters of some well-known employers, including IBM Canada in Markham, State Farm Insurance in Aurora, Magna International in Aurora, AMD in Markham, Toys R Us in Vaughan, and many others. Between 4000 and 5000 new job openings are posted online every month, according to the Fairy Lake Jobs Regional Hiring Index Report. Most of these reports are with employers from the professional services and retail industries, but healthcare and manufacturing industry jobs also account for a significant portion of new employment opportunities. The majority of York Region’s residents live in the southern part of the region immediately North of Toronto, in the towns of Markham, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan. This is also where the vast majority of the jobs are, with employers in Markham accounting for more than a third of all new employment opportunities advertised in the year of 2007. Many of the remaining job openings are located in Newmarket and Aurora, in the central part of York Region. However, the Fairy Lake Jobs York Region Hiring Index Report shows that Newmarket and Aurora generally have a higher portion of temporary and part-time jobs compared to communities in the south of the region. The remaining areas of York Region are home of smaller rural communities, that rely more heavily on farming and tourism industry jobs. Some of these communities are Stouffville, King, Keswick, Sutton, East Gwillimbury, and Mount Albert. However, since there are more jobs in Toronto than in any other GTA municipality including York, and because Toronto is only a relatively short distance away, there are many York Region residents who work in Toronto and commute on a daily basis. It is also not uncommon for York residents to work on jobs in Mississauga and Brampton. Many residents of the cities
surrounding York Region commute to jobs in Markham, Vaughan, and other York Region locations as well.