After setting record lows last fall, Brantford jobless rate is climbing and the labour force continues to shrink.

Statistics Canada’s local labour force survey of local residents estimated the city’s unemployment rate at 4.7% for February, up from 4.3% in January, with all figures seasonally adjusted.

Brantford’s jobless rate has climbed 1.6% since setting a record low of 3.1% last November. However, February’s rate closely mirrors the 4.6% average Brantford has seen over the last 12 months.

There have been sizeable changes in the Brantford-Brant job market in the last year.

The most notable changes have been the shrinking labour force and participation rates. The size of the labour force was estimated at 78,400 people in February, the smallest in the last year. The participation rate – the percentage of people working or looking for work – is also a low for the year.

The shrinking labour force is most noticeable in the 22 to 54 age range, which is considered the core working age group. There is an estimated 5,000 less people in that age range working today than a year ago, similar to the overall drop in population in that age group, according to Statistics Canada.

An estimated 3,000 more people in the 55 to 64 age range are working compared to a year ago. But even taking that into account, there are about 2,000 other people unaccounted for.

Brantford’s jobless rate pushed up in January, part of a recent trend which has seen fewer people working since last summer. The city’s unemployment rate was 4.3% last month, a half percentage rise from 3.8% in December, according to Statistics Canada’s seasonally adjusted figures. January’s local jobless rate is still much lower than the 5.9% of January 2019. Brantford’s unemployment rate is currently the third lowest in Ontario and also remains among the lowest in Canada. However, the last six months have been a mixed story in the local job market, which peaked in terms of overall employment last summer. Since July, the number of people participating in the labour market – either working or looking for work – has shrunk considerably, resulting in an estimated 4,800 less people employed. Those people didn’t join the ranks of the unemployed, as that number also fell. Employment fell over the last six months in the Brantford area across a wide range of service sector jobs, including retail, business services, finance, insurance, management of companies and public administration. Employment grew in goods producing industries, including manufacturing. Full-time employment has fallen since the summer, while part-time work has increased, especially among women. More men in the 55-64 age range have been working, while employment has fallen most notably among young men (15 – 24 age range).

Brantford’s jobless rate has climbed for the first time in six months, but 2019 overall saw strong job growth.

The city’s unemployment rate was 3.8% in December 2019, up from the historic low of 3.1% in November, according to seasonally adjusted estimates derived from a Statistics Canada survey of local households.

Norfolk’s jobless rate was 6% for December, monthly figures not adjusted for seasonal factors.

The year 2019 was a strong year for Brantford’s job market and employment growth. From 2018 to 2019, employment grew by 8,700 people to 78,700 people, according to annual Statistics Canada data, also released Friday. Three-quarters of the job growth in 2019 came in full-time work.

Area employers are being urged to answer 20 questions to kick off 2020.

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie and about 20 partner organizations will be sending the annual EmployerOne survey out to employers throughout January.

It is the 7th year for the survey, which gathers information on the workforce needs and challenges of employers in Brantford, Six Nations, New Credit and the counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk.

This year’s survey has been shortened to 20 questions which focus on core issues, including hiring and separations, staff attraction and retention, in-demand skills and hard-to-fill jobs.

The Workforce Planning Board will analyze the data collected and release survey findings in the spring.