July 2024 employment figures confirmed the recent upwards trend in the jobless rate for the Brantford area.
However, the area’s rate remains below that of nearby communities, as well as the provincial and national averages.
The Brantford area unemployment rate climbed 0.3 percentage points in July – to 6% – according to Statistics Canada’s latest seasonally adjusted figures.
The national jobless rate remained unchanged at 6.4% in July, while Ontario’s shrunk to 6.7%.
In labour markets around Brantford, only Guelph saw a lower unemployment rate last month: 3.9%.
Locally, job losses were concentrated in the manufacturing and educational services sectors, both of which have decreased consistently over the last 6 months. Employment continued to grow in several other sectors, including business, building and other support services, healthcare and social assistance, and accommodation and food services.
“Employers across Grand Erie have slowed down on hiring, especially for part-time roles,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director.
“As a result, we are seeing fewer opportunities for youth and older workers to participate in the workforce. Compared to July 2023, there were roughly 4000 fewer youth, and another 4000 fewer people aged 55+, in employment.”
“We need to find ways to engage individuals that are unable to find suitable work, and this involves meeting them where they are at with their skill development needs.”
Through surveying both businesses and workers, the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie aims to identify opportunities to bridge workforce gaps. Local residents are encouraged to complete the Workforce Skills and Training Survey, and employers are encouraged to complete the EmployerOne survey.
About 1,500 employers in Grand Erie were looking to hire in July, unchanged from June, according to Grand Erie Jobs, the planning board’s community online job board. However, actual postings decreased by 8% month over month.
Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on the July 2024 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.
