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THE ERA Although economic forecasters have been alarming the public with predictions of recession survey of local businesses and employers indicates a healthy position The last throes normally slow and York disproving gloomy economic forecasts Local economy healthy with indications of spring upswing despite recessive predictions has Christ as was attributed to competition from the mis in and Mall which opened last all in Richmond Hill Merchants are optimistic that sales will increase significantly over the next few months This is a buyers market in real estate with an abundance of houses on the market in contrast to the sellers market of Inst year Prospective buyers interest rates to drop before cost them more in the long run according sales manager drop the cost of housing Although more people were looking for work in January than in December there arc also more jobs it this time A slump in the auto industry is affecting some local That was the craziest market 1 Mr does not see housing prices as a deterrent to young buyers Nobody can say its mare difficult for young people to buy a house he said Theyre making more money than ever before He said people can borrow up to percent of the cost of a homo if they qualify All young families if they have good jobs and both partners work can buy a house he said Poor young folks cant afford a house he said They buy the best color TV cor but they house havent that much respect or Mortgages arc available at to percent for first mortgages and or IS per cent for seconds ho Rates are changing so fast he said Mr anticipates thai prices will increase by to on a 550000 house over the next few Industry An architectural firm however predicts a major upswing in the next few months Food retailers find shopping is normal with no apparent changes in peoples buying habits Willie there is no great expansion In business In ihe arei Torrance manager of the Industrial III I slow steady growth Its not a particularly industrial area Mr the- has produced more jobs in the There was a percent increase In job requests from employers in January over December said Earl supervisor of operations with the Canada In August or September we will have a is peoples buying in It change said a local grocery registering for the s period that Zellers could profit from needs he said Were not Holt Renfrew for their shopping dollar and said the is also experiencing slowdowns he said it theyre waiting for the interest rates to drop be said This is harming the small man v ho has leav y equipment to rent out Interest rates on mortgages are dropping but they haven hit Their level yet said Kenneth vice- president and sales manager with Armstrong Real opened last May he said Thats period he said Thais unusual There is usually a not concerned that business was slack Its generally quiet this time of year lie said The malls Sears store has also kept all of its employees However pari employees arc working fewer hours than in the past Parttime employees are not laid off according displeased at all lie said General Manager of the Upper Canada gi predicted business would slim it few months cheques to begin Its not doom and doom as some people need money in the the next lliree months were percent higher than in the in ill s opening month Mr Poupard said A store normally does onequarter to one third of its annual There are also jobs available in the mall Mr said Restaurants and small stores are looking for people anil some stores have been looking More people arc applying for social assistance due lack of employment Mr MacDonald said It takes about six weeks for unemployment ing regularly and many people Aurora plant Business is looking a tittle belter for us said Gary Gilbert general manager We had quite a with the cutback in the recreational good half day jobs to bebad said Although he a ore had no basis for comparison a quiet month in retail Mr Sliatford Also employees of small businesses arc being laid off Mr said A number of small businessmen arc finding things tough lie said As an economic safeguard of their own they are laying off workers Its good business practice However ere is 1 si yi 1 attached to welfare United Slates and are dependent upon the there Mr Gilbert said Industries Newmarket has been hiring and is experiencing a normal business month said plant manager Peter Although Vico which manufactures office equipment at its Holland Landing plant had seasonal layoffs it now has a total of hourly employees wis Plaza down during Christmas said Michael of Livingston president of Ihe Were down not as badly as I thought lie said They just recently two prominent malls Hill Newmarket Its hound some business away Were over- serviced Mr Livingston said general trend cautiousness in buying Iiiircinses but they feel under the c hank account They have to come and ask for something even though theyre entitled to it Most people on social assistance are making every effort to find work he said They must register for employment if they are employable The percentage of is so small its hardly worth mentioning le said There are no stereotyped welfare recipients Mr said can happen to anyone Tangible assets do not prejudice a persons chances for receiving welfare Mr said A field worker visits the prospective recipient lo establish the amount eligibility The department works fast and often visits family the same day of the request For families in desperate need the department has an emergency authorization procedure whereby a field worker will make food arrangements with a local The department has no control over the spending authority to tell a man how to spend gathering strength publication stated Ariiutage Construction Co Ltd i He said however that as interest rates go down business will pickup Mr predicts happen in spring But there are encouraging signs Tom Brown a Richmond Hill architect who is designing a shopping mall for Aurora told Aurora However the percentage of llie population on general welfare assistance or social assistance as il is now called is rising slightly said Hilton administrator the welfare branch of ihe departmenl of healthy and social services of York Region Still Hie statistics show a general decline over the few years when the department was regionalized Council last week that business has better and predicted a major upswing in industry the and although statistics maintenance he said Many families are now on welfare due lo slowdowns in local manufacturing firms Some firms experience normal slowdowns at this lime of year However Alcan Aluminum has laid off workers for ihe first time in several years The firm which has been in Aurora for more than years has released of a total of 140 production Everything Is slack real slack said Harry plant manager Production is down My company has never had so much work and its all come in Mr Brown said Larma Investments of Richmond Hill is op- pa rant ely confident in the areas economic future The company is willing to plunge more than million into an enclosed shopping mall or Aurora Hopes of a job bonanza in Newmarket this year with the completion of the and Son Ltd metal stamping plant in the towns new eastside In dustrial park seem dimmer now than when con struction started on the plant in late 1973 Grocery buying habits can be an In of economic soundness and local retailers report on significant changes In food purchasing One grocery manager Bald people are spending money as if they didnt care Photos by John Cole normally slack at this p or sale Although it now unoccupied sq t factory holds the potential to be one of the town largest employers