The unemployment rate in the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties declined last month.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says the jobless rate for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region was 5.6 per cent in June, down from 5.9 per cent a month prior.
The decline in the unemployment rate came as the total number of people working the region was essentially unchanged, with more than 3,400 new full-time positions offset by the loss of 3,300 part-time jobs.
But the size of the labour force fell by more than 500 people, resulting in the unemployment number decline.
The labour force participation rate also declined to 60.1 per cent. The number measures everyone of working age — 15 or older — who has a job or is looking for one, against the total eligible working age population.
Employment gains were posted in the manufacturing (+2,600), professional, scientific and technical services (+1,000), agriculture (+700), finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (+700) and information, culture and recreation (+700) industries.
The healthcare and social assistance (-2,300), construction (-1,100), accommodation and food services (-700) and business, building and other support services (-600) sectors led the job losses in the region last month.
“The decreases we are seeing are very concerning specifically in health care as this is not an isolated change and will affect our regions services at this rate,” Four County Labour Market Planning Board Executive Director Dana Skirten says in a release. “For the past four months we have seen losses in healthcare and social assistance that are alarming. In February, employment sat at 27,900 to what we see now in June at 17,200.”
Ontario’s unemployment rate was unchanged last month, at seven per cent. Nationally, it edged lower to 6.5 per cent — as the Canadian economy added 18,000 jobs.