March 2025 employment numbers for Brantford-Brant showed that more residents were out-of-work last month.
About 800 more people were unemployed last month in Brantford-Brant, raising the local jobless rate to 6.1 per cent, up from February’s 5.3 per cent, according to seasonally adjusted estimates from Statistics Canada, which surveyed residents in the first half of March.
Norfolk’s unemployment rate also climbed in March, reaching 6.4 per cent, according to figures that are not seasonally adjusted.
Employment fell by 33,000 in Canada in March, causing the national unemployment rate to increase to 6.7 per cent. Ontario saw a 28,000 drop in employment and the provincial jobless rate climbed to 7.5 per cent.
“In Brantford, 5,500 people were estimated to be unemployed in March, but that is still below the numbers from last fall, so we can’t necessarily point the finger at tariffs,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director.
“Statistics Canada is reporting that the largest number of job losses in Canada last month was in retail and wholesale trade, but there wasn’t a dramatic change here.”
Jobs tied to auto industry
Dalton said that while there wasn’t a U.S. tariff slapped on all Canadian-made products, tariffs on steel and automobiles will impact manufacturers and people who work in those industries. A car maker in Windsor has already announced a 2-week shutdown.
“We’re home to a major steelmaker, Stelco in Nanticoke, and other steel-related companies,” she said. “Hundreds of our residents commute to jobs at Toyota plants in Cambridge and Woodstock, CAMI in Ingersoll and Ford in Oakville. And Grand Erie is home to auto parts manufacturers that employ several thousand people.”
Companies impacted by tariffs are encouraged to keep in touch with the planning board, municipal economic development departments, chambers of commerce and industry associations, Dalton said.
“Sharing information and talking about how to soften the blow of tariffs on businesses and workers is crucial. Tariffs are a community-wide issue, a human issue, not just a business issue.”
Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on the March 2025 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.
