The London/Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region is comprised of the Economics Regions (ERs) of London and Stratford-Bruce Peninsula. The region’s GDP was an estimated $48 billion in 2018, 18% of which was generated by the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing is also a major employer in the region, accounting for 14% of the total labour force, including 4% from automotive manufacturing.

The region has a positive economic outlook, with annual GDP growth of at least 2.0% projected through 2029. However, the region’s manufacturing sector is expected to see its GDP growth slow in the coming years.

The London/Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region’s population was an estimated 1 million in 2018. Healthy population growth is expected in the region through 2025 before slowing 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 18% in 2016 to 24% by 2030. The region is also expected to see its unemployment fall from 6.7% in 2016 to 5.5% by 2020 before stabilizing over the coming decade.

The London/Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region’s automotive manufacturing industry employed an estimated 24,200 workers across 93 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 estimated to have ranged from a low of 22,600 in 2013 to a peak of 24,400 in 2017. The region is home to three assembly plants that employed an estimated 5,900 workers in 2018. A total 64 parts suppliers located in the London ER employed nearly 12,000 workers while 26 suppliers in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula employed an additional 6,300. The region’s largest automotive manufacturing-related employers include Toyota, General Motors and Magna International.