Despite a slight slowdown, activity will remain solid on the Trois-Rivières census metropolitan area (CMA) residential real estate market in 2009 and 2010. In fact, transaction volumes will stay high on the resale market, as will housing starts, which will remain above the average levels for the last few years. The rental market, for its part, will continue to post a relatively low vacancy rate. Even though the job market will be sluggish, financing conditions, which will still be very favourable, combined with strong migration, will energize the market. Job market to stay sluggish
The economy in Trois-Rivières, like in several other areas around the province, was affected by the global economic crisis that has been prevailing for over a year now. Already, the regional economy had suffered from the surging loonie, which had severely tested manufacturing companies by undermining their competitiveness on the market. The ensuing decline in demand, as a direct result of the economic slowdown, only made things worse. Consequently, job losses have now been accumulating for four quarters in the Trois-Rivières CMA (with almost all the losses having been full-time positions), in pace with the announcements of layoffs and plant closings, which have increased. On the other hand, the area will benefit from the vitality of other sectors of the regional economy, including the non-residential