Hortlander / CC
The regional unemployment rate in the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties fell to 6.1 per cent in April, down from 6.6 per cent a month prior.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says net employment in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region grew by 3,300 positions last month. More than 6,800 full-time jobs were created, offset by losses of around 3,500 part-time positions.
A statement from the labour market planning board says “this employment change shows a greater sign of economic recovery and resilience in the local labour market with the third provincial lockdown still being effective.”
Four County Labour Market Planning Board Executive Director Gemma Mendez-Smith says some sectors like agriculture and wholesale and retail trade are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and third lockdown.
“We see continued recovery in accommodation and food services sector with increases now surpassing pre-pandemic levels,” Mendez-Smith says in a statement.
The accommodation and food services (+2,200), educational services (+1,500) construction (+1,500) and manufacturing (+1,400) sectors led the employment gains in April.
The greatest job losses came in the wholesale and retail trade (-2,900) industry.
The drop in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula unemployment rate in April bucked the broader trend brought on by renewed shutdown measures. Ontario’s jobless rate jumped to 9 per cent in April, up from 7.5 per cent a month prior.
Nationally, the unemployment rate increased to 8.1 per cent as more than 207,000 positions were lost across the country.