
April saw two key job figures increase
April 2025 job numbers showed that Brantford-Brant’s employment and unemployment rates both increased, as hundreds of more people entered the labour market.
Statistics Canada estimates that about 900 more people joined the local labour force last month, with 500 finding employment.
As a result, April’s local jobless rate climbed to 6.5 per cent, up from March’s 6.1 per cent, while the employment rate rose slightly to 60.6 per cent, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the government agency.
Canada’s labour market saw very modest employment growth (7,400 more jobs), but the jobless rate climbed by 0.2 percentage points to 6.9 per cent. Ontario shed 35,000 jobs – almost all in manufacturing – and the provincial unemployment rate increased to 7.8 per cent.
Manufacturing sector stable so far
Unlike Ontario as a whole, Brantford-Brant did not see much change in employment in its key manufacturing sector, which employs about 14,000 people.
“So far, we’ve been fortunate and have not seen much impact on local employment levels by the U.S. tariffs, even when it comes to manufacturing jobs,” said Danette Dalton, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.
“All eyes continue to be on the tariff war and we continue to monitor the situation closely. We are all hoping that impacts will be minimal and short lived, but right now it’s a wait and see situation.”
Dalton said the increased number of people working in April brought total employment up to where it was in December-January, while the number of unemployed residents was on par with what it was last October – before tariffs in both cases.
The planning board says postings displayed on its Grand Erie Jobs online job board has been increasing for several months, even with the tariff uncertainty.
New job posts for the Grand Erie region were up 16 per cent in April, reaching 2,250, as almost 1,200 businesses posted openings online. The Top-5 postings were for retail salesperson, home support worker, food counter attendants, cooks and registered nurses.
Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on the April 2025 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.