The Liberal government is disputing a Statistics Canada analysis showing Ontario’s status as the economic engine of Canada has been declining since 2003, especially in manufacturing.
    
Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid says Ontario’s economy is bouncing back and has created more jobs since the recession than any other manufacturing jurisdiction.
    
StatsCan says Ontario still has by far the largest share of payroll workers with 5.8 million non-farm employees.
    
But it says the province’s biggest losses have come in the battered factory sector, which has shed 255-thousand jobs in the past decade.
    
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the Liberals have shown little interest in protecting manufacturing jobs and talked more about service jobs.