The Four County Labour Market Planning Board is reporting the largest drop in the unemployment rate for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region during the Covid pandemic.
On June 4, the board says the unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 per cent from 6.1 per cent.
This figure also represents the first time the unemployment rate has dropped below five per cent for the same time period.
The board notes the overall net employment in the region has increased by almost 3,000.
The Goods-producing sector has increased its net employment by 1,900, with the main driving force coming from 800 Agriculture and 900 Manufacturing, with manufacturing also experiencing a fifth consecutive month increase in employment for 2021.
The employment in the Services-producing sector has also seen an increase by net 900, with the greatest gains coming from business, building and other support services, registering at 1,200.
Executive Director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board Gemma Mendez-Smith says they continue to recognize not all sectors are experiencing the same level of stable recovery.
“Both our unemployment rate and labour force numbers indicate that we are moving in a positive directions pointing to steady recovery. For the first time since the pandemic, the unemployment rate has dipped below five per cent and we have noticed a trend of increasing labour force activity,” says Mendez-Smith.
The current job postings for Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth regions have also see an increase over the pandemic, with the regular monthly average for job postings sitting at 2,000.
More details about local jobs can be found on the Connect 2 Jobs website.