The Kitchener – Waterloo – Barrie Economic Region (ER) is comprised of four Census Divisions (CD): Waterloo, Wellington, Dufferin, and Simcoe. The region’s GDP was an estimated $67 billion in 2018, 19% of which was generated by the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing is also a major employer in the region, accounting for 14.3% of the total labour force, including 5% from automotive manufacturing.

The region has a positive economic outlook, with annual GDP growth of at least 2.5% projected through 2029. However, the region’s manufacturing sector is expected to see its GDP growth slow in the coming years.

The Kitchener – Waterloo – Barrie region’s population was an estimated 1.38 million in 2018. Healthy population growth is expected in the region through 2025 before leveling off in the latter half of the next decade. Population growth will likely be driven primarily by migration into the region as a declining birth rate means little natural population change. The region is expected to see an aging trend in its population, with the share of the population aged 65 years and over projected to increase from 16% in 2016 to 22% by 2030. The region is also expected to see its unemployment fall from 6.3% in 2016 to 5.1% by 2020 before stabilizing over the coming decade.

The Kitchener – Waterloo – Barrie region’s automotive manufacturing industry employed an estimated 33,000 workers across 91 businesses in 2018, based on findings from industry contacts, company websites, industry literature and other sources of publicly available data. Employment in the past five years is has remained relatively stable with a height of 33,000 in 2018. The region is home to two assembly plants that employed an estimated 9,600 workers in 2018. A total 56 parts suppliers located in Waterloo and Wellington CDs employs nearly 17,100 workers, while 19 suppliers in Simcoe and Dufferin employ an additional 5,000 workers. The region’s largest automotive manufacturing-related employers include Toyota, Honda, Linamar, and Magna International.