Blog

Content of the article

The region that includes Grey-Bruce lost 6,000 full-time jobs for the second consecutive month in December and is no longer the provincial leader in employment rates, according to new monthly figures from Statistics Canada.

Content of the article

The Stratford-Bruce Peninsula economic region’s unemployment rate rose 0.8 percentage points to 3.5%, the second lowest in Ontario. The province’s unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage points in December to 4.8%, both figures not seasonally adjusted.

The adjusted annual unemployment rate for 2022 was 3.7%, 0.5 percentage points lower than that for 2021, which was 4.2%.

A news release issued by the Four County Labor Market Planning Board along with further analysis of Statistics Canada’s monthly Labor Force Survey data shows that the size of the region’s labor force has grown from 165,900 people in November to 163,700 in December.

Overall net employment in the region fell by 3,600, with 6,000 full-time job losses and 2,400 part-time job gains.

Content of the article

“With an aging workforce and high participation rates, job vacancies are increasing and staying vacant longer,” said Dana Soucie, executive director of the Four Counties Labor Market Planning Council in a press release. . “Rural communities face additional barriers to attracting needed labour, which makes it extremely competitive for many employers in Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth. Understanding our ability to attract and retain workers in the region will be a valuable exercise as we navigate these labor shortages.”

The number of employees in the goods-producing sector fell again in December by a net 1,500. The manufacturing sector lost the most employees with 1,300 leaving their jobs, while construction and utilities lost 1,200 and 1,100 respectively. The agriculture sector saw a gain of 2,100 employees.

Content of the article

Employment in the service sector fell by 2,000 net jobs. Health care and social assistance recorded the largest loss (-2,000), while educational services recorded the largest increase (+1,400), followed by transportation and warehousing (+ 800).

“What’s happening right now, I think, is some employers are potentially suspending their (job) openings and they’re kind of waiting to see what happens with the recession,” Soucie said in an interview. with the Stratford Beacon Herald. “And this time of year with seasonality and different things, we’ve lost jobs in certain industries, which isn’t a huge surprise.

“So I think employers are stepping back and saying… ‘I think we have to go with what we have right now and look at other ways to keep production going.’ ”

Content of the article

Soucie said the continued decline in full-time employment could be fueled by an aging workforce and high participation rates in the local labor pool, leaving fewer qualified potential workers to fill. full-time positions available as older workers leave the labor market.

And higher spending could encourage some people to return to the labor market.

“Due to the high cost of living, many (retired workers) need to come back to work, but the opportunities they need may not be there, so we need to explore that and see how can we get them back into the market. work, even if only part-time.

Current job postings for the Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth area have increased over time since the pandemic and can be found at: www.connect2JOBS.ca. The website is updated regularly. Users are encouraged to visit often and create an account to follow job opportunities. The current number of job openings in the region exceeds 2,100, a decrease of 500 jobs from last month.

Content of the article

Statistics Canada’s Monthly Labor Force Survey provides estimates of employment and unemployment, based on a sample of households in communities. Stratford-Bruce Peninsula figures represent a three-month rolling average, not seasonally adjusted.

Nationally, employment rose by 104,000 in December, while the unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 5%, just above the record high of 4.9 % reached in June and July.

Canada’s employment growth in December was led by an increase among young people aged 15 to 24, who recouped the cumulative losses seen for this group from July to September, according to Statistics Canada’s Labor Force Survey. Canada.

With files by Galen Simmons