The unemployment rate for the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties declined to 4.8 per cent in September.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula regional economy created more than 3,000 new full-time jobs last month, which was partially offset by the loss of 1,400 part-time positions.
The overall size of the labour force also increased by 1,400 people, and the workforce participation rate increased to 58.6 per cent.
“There was little change to our overall unemployment rate this month, and we are seeing some positive indicators,” Four County Labour Market Planning Board Executive Director Dana Soucie says in a prepared statement. “With an increase in both full-time employment and participation rates, our region’s labour force is trending in the right direction”.
The largest employment gains in the regional economy came in the healthcare and social assistance(+2,600), educational services(+900), construction (+800) and information, culture and recreation sectors (+700).
There were job losses in the utilities (-1,400), manufacturing (-1,200) and finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (-1,200) industries.
Ontario’s unemployment rate ticked higher in September, to 7.9 per cent. The national number was unchanged, 7.1 per cent, even as more than 60,000 jobs were created nationwide.