Influx of new job seekers continues
July employment numbers showed that the Brantford-Brant labour market continues to see major changes, with an influx of job seekers causing shifts, both positive and negative.
For the fifth month in a row, the local labour force grew dramatically in July, increasing the number of employed and unemployed residents at the same time and pushing up the monthly jobless rate.
July saw the Brantford-Brant unemployment rate jump to 7.8 per cent, up from June’s 7 per cent, according to the latest seasonally adjusted estimates, released by Statistics Canada.
The local jobless rate is just shy of Ontario’s July unemployment rate of 7.9 per cent, but almost a full percentage point above the Canadian 6.9 per cent average.
July 2025 employment figures also showed that Brantford-Brant had the highest jobless rate in July compared to neighbouring labour markets, with the next closest being Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo at 7.3 per cent.
“More people are participating in the local labour market, but it is typical that not all those people find jobs and that pushes up the unemployment rate,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director.
“Since March, an estimated 6,800 people have joined the labour force, with 4,700 finding employment. And while it is terrible that 2,000 people didn’t find work, overall, our economy has gained jobs even in the midst of so much global uncertainty. That is no small achievement.”
Dalton said there’s no single reason that explains the recent influx of people into the labour market.
Factors could include population growth, a drop in self-employment, perhaps with some of those people looking for steady paycheques, and a higher cost of living prompting others to search for work, she said.
“The big increase in unemployed residents – 2,000 more since March and 3,000 since January – reinforces the need for more supports for individuals, from the community and governments,” she said. “Local employment services are facing much higher caseloads.”
The Workforce Planning Board’s job board, Grand Erie Jobs, saw a similar number of posts last month as in June, with more than 1,800 new jobs advertised by about 1,000 employers.
Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on the July 2025 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.
