The regional unemployment rate in the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties fell to 3.6 per cent in July, with significant gains in full-time positions being reported.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says more than 3,200 new full-time jobs were created in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region last month, as well as about 300 part-time positions.
The region’s labour force participation rate also increased in July to 63.8 per cent, up from 62.6 per cent a month prior.
“This employment increase was the largest in 2021, which shows a continued recovery of the local labour market, highly possibly caused by Stage 2 reopening and its relaxing rules,” a release from the Four County Labour Market Planning Board explains.
Gemma Mendez-Smith, the executive director of the planning board, says even with the job gains and increased labour participation rate, the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Region is still in need of more workers.
“Employers from our top employment sectors like manufacturing, construction and agriculture continue to echo the absolute need for workers in their respective fields,” Mendez-Smith says.
The wholesale and retail trade (+2,300), agriculture (+1,600) and manufacturing (+900) sectors led the area’s employment gains in July.
The greatest job losses came in the educational services (-1,600) and construction (-300) industries.
Ontario’s provincial unemployment rate for the month of July also fell to eight per cent, down from 8.4 per cent a month prior. Nationally, it was down to 7.5 per cent as more than 94,000 new positions were created across the country.