​December unemployment rate increases to 4.4%, says labour market planning board

In December, the unemployment rate for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region increased by 0.7 percentage points to 4.4 per cent. The provincial unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage point to 5.6 per cent, both unadjusted for seasonality.

That’s the word from the Four County Labour Market Planning Board.

Last month, the region’s overall population increased by 300; whereas, the labour force size increased by 400. The size of population not participating in the labour force decreased by 100 and the participation rate increased by 0.1 percentage point.

The region saw a total decrease of 800 in employment size, a result of minus-1,700 full-time employment losses compensated by plus-900 part-time employment gains.

The number of goods-producing sector employees decreased by net 1,100 (-1.9 per cent). Construction experienced the biggest loss again (-1,000, -5.7 per cent), followed by agriculture (-700, -5.3 per cent) and manufacturing (-400, -2.4 per cent).

On the other hand, utilities experienced the biggest gain this month (+900, +11.5 per cent), followed by forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying and oil (+200, +6.7 per cent).

Employment in the services-producing sector increased by net 300 (+0.3 per cent). Health care and social assistance experienced the biggest gain this month (+2,100, +13.5 per cent), followed by public administration (+300, +11.5 per cent) and transportation and warehousing (+300, +6.1 per cent).

Business, building and other support services experienced the biggest loss (-800, -15.4 per cent), followed by information, culture and recreation (-500, -14.7 per cent), and professional, scientific and technical services (-600, -6.7 per cent).

“We are encouraged by the overall increase in participation of our workforce, especially the increases in health care and social assistance,” says Dana Soucie, executive director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board. “Although we see a loss in full-time employment, it is not surprising for the seasonality of some of these sectors.”

Current job postings for the Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth region have increased over time since the COVID-19 pandemic and can be found at www.connect2JOBS.ca. The current number of job postings reached more than 1,600.