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.