jobless rate Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie

Area jobless rate hits 16-year record low

by WPBGE | Aug 5, 2022 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

July 2022 employment numbers saw Brantford-Brant set a new record low jobless rate, further cementing the area as having one of the strongest labour markets in Ontario.

The Brantford area’s unemployment rate declined to 3.4% in July, down from June’s 3.9%, according to seasonally adjusted estimates released by Statistics Canada. In Ontario, only Guelph was lower at 3.2%.

Across Canada, employment was down 31,000, but the national jobless rate remained unchanged at a record low of 4.9%. Ontario recorded most of the employment losses with 27,000, causing the provincial unemployment rate to climb slightly to 5.3%.

Brantford’s 3.4% jobless rate is the lowest since comparable data started being collected in 2006. The number of local unemployed people in July was estimated at 2,700, also the lowest in 16 years.

“It’s fantastic to see so many local residents working and our area setting a new record low unemployment rate,” said Danette Dalton, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.

“Unfortunately, it also means that local businesses will continue to face challenges hiring staff, as the pool of available labour has shrunk.”

There were an estimated 76,700 people employed in Brantford-Brant in July, up more than 1,000 from June and the highest since November 2019.

The local labour market saw employment gains mainly in service-related jobs, with modest gains in most categories, led by educational services, wholesale and retail trade, and professional services. Manufacturing also saw some gains, while employment in construction continues to hold steady.

July 2022 employment gains were in full-time work, with part-time employment declining slightly.

Grand Erie Jobs, the community’s largest job board, saw about 3,100 new jobs posted in July, a significant drop from the number seen in each of the last three months. More than 72% of postings were for full-time work, with the majority of those considered permanent positions. Casual positions accounted for less than 6% of job postings.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read its news release on July 2022 employment in Canada and Ontario.

Brantford jobless rate falls to 3.9% in June

by WPBGE | Jul 13, 2022 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

June 2022 employment numbers saw Brantford rack up additional employment gains.

The area gained hundreds of jobs in June, dropping the monthly unemployment rate to 3.9%, down from May’s 4.6%, according to Statistics Canada’s labour force survey of local households.

Norfolk’s jobless rate was estimated at 4.3% in June, a sizeable improvement over the 7.4% recorded in June 2021. Norfolk’s lower rate was due to a shrinking labour force since the actual number of people employed stayed the same year over year.

Canada’s monthly unemployment rate fell to a new record low of 4.9% in June, even though 43,000 fewer people were employed. The rate drop was due to fewer people searching for work. Meanwhile, Ontario’s rate fell to 5.1%.

In Brantford, the overall size of the labour force increased for the first time in several months, while the employment rate improved due to the job gains. The June 2022 employment numbers showed job gains in both full-time and part-time work.

Impressive job numbers

“These impressive numbers come at a time when some employers are experiencing a labour shortage,” said Danette Dalton, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie. “There are still hundreds of potential workers who aren’t in the labour force who can help fill that shortage. The good news is that when residents join or rejoin the workforce there are usually jobs for them.”

Dalton said retirements in the last year have made a tight labour pool even tighter. The number of residents ages 65 and over not in the labour force – neither employed nor looking for work – has increased by more than 3,000 since June 2021. A large majority of those were women.

By contrast, in the previous one-year period, June 2020 to June 2021, the number of people 65 and over not in the labour force declined.

Grand Erie Jobs postings

The number of new job openings posted on Grand Erie Jobs, the community’s largest job board, has been holding steady at around 4,000 each month for the region. Meanwhile, the number of companies posting jobs each month has been consistently around 2,000.

In the last couple months, there’s been noticeable jumps in the number of postings in retail trade, transportation and warehousing, and information and culture. Education job postings have jumped even more, as this is a traditional time that school boards, colleges and universities post.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read its news release on June 2022 employment in Canada and Ontario.

Employment steady but jobless rate jumps

by WPBGE | Dec 3, 2021 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

November 2021 employment held firm in Brantford, but for the second straight month the local jobless rate jumped as more people entered the job market.

The city’s November unemployment rate was estimated at 7.6%, up from 7.2% in October, based on a Statistics Canada survey of residents conducted Nov. 7 to 13.

The spike in the jobless rate was due to an additional 500 people entering the labour force, not because of overall job losses, since Brantford’s employment rate held steady at 61.7% in November.

Across Canada, employment grew by an impressive 154,000, dropping the national monthly jobless rate to 6%. Almost half of the job gains took place in Ontario, which added 68,000 jobs and saw its unemployment rate shrink to 6.4% – the lowest since pre-pandemic February 2020.

Labour force swells

Brantford’s labour force has swelled by 1,300 people since September, while the number of people working has remained unchanged.

“It is considered a good sign when people join or rejoin the labour force,” said Workforce Plannng Board Executive Director Danette Dalton. “But it could take time for these new job seekers to find work that matches their skills and experience.”

November 2021 employment grew locally in several industries, led by retail trade, which has seen job gains of 1,600 since September. These gains have been offset by job losses in other industries, particularly in manufacturing.

Job losses have been more pronounced for young workers ages 15 – 24, but the figures suggest that many left full-time work over the last couple of months to go to school.

Top in-demand jobs

Over the last several months, employment has fallen for males 45 years and older, but has increased for males 25 to 44. Employment for females has been steadier, except for fewer women ages 15 to 24 working, partly due to some returning to school. Enrolment in post-secondary is higher among females.

There were about 3,200 new jobs listed in November on Grand Erie Jobs job board. The No. 1 job posted was material handler, followed by general farm worker. Many farmers start trying to recruit workers in the autumn for work starting next spring.

Other top in-demand jobs include retail salespersons, home support workers, cooks, customer service representatives, nurses and retail managers.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read its news release on November 2021 employment in Canada and Ontario.

Canadian Census Provides Important Data

by WPBGE | May 7, 2021 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Most Canadians will have received their 2021 Census by now.

The census provides a count of Canada’s population – it was 35,151,728 when the last one was held in 2016 – but it does much more. Information collected in the census paints an up-to-date picture of Canadian society and how it has changed or is changing.

Canadians are being asked to complete the census online by May 11, Census Day. Census employees will follow up with people who don’t complete the census. They’ll likely explain why doing the census is important and provide a friendly reminder that Canadians are required to complete it by law every 5 years.

Statistics Canada is also conducting its Census of Agriculture during May. This census is aimed at farm operators across the county. In 2016, there were 193,650 farm operations in Canada – a number that will be updated with the 2021 census.

Short and long form census

Most Canadians, about 75%, will receive a short version of the census which will require only a few minutes to complete for an entire household. Questions will mainly cover: name, gender, date of birth, age, marital status and spoken languages of all members in a household.

A smaller number of Canadians will receive the long form version of the census. It contains the same questions, plus other questions about people’s birthplace, citizenship, cultural heritage, Indigenous status and religion. Other sections focus on education, mobility, housing, health issues and employment.

Questions that are related to the workforce include employment status, number of hours worked, occupation, self-employment, work location and commuting habits.

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie uses this census data to help with workforce planning in Brantford, Six Nations, New Credit, and the counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk.

Watch Statistics Canada’s video: How do I complete the questionnaire? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4zJBrpvm0

Why doing the census is important

Questions on who lives in a household helps the government understand family size and composition, including the number of children and seniors. This helps the government plan programs such as Old Age Security and the Canada Child Benefit.

In line, this information is used by provincial and local governments to help plan services for communities, including new schools, seniors’ residences and day cares.

Watch Statistics Canada’s video: Why the census is important https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOOy8_SpvHk

Census demographic data can also help small businesses understand their target market in their particular area.

Here’s more info from Statistics Canada on how businesses can use census data: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/smallbusiness-petitesentreprises/index-eng.htm

Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie – Our Census Map Tool

Our Grand Erie Jobs website has a free online Census Map Tool anyone can use to look up census information from the 2016 census. https://workforceplanningboard.org/census-tool/

There’s information on population, families, language, aboriginal peoples, citizenship, immigration, housing, education and more. Workforce related data includes size of the workforce, number of Canadians who work in each occupation and each industry, where people work, language of work, place of work and commuting habits.

For example, the 2016 census told us that 1,920 Haldimand County residents worked in their homes, while 65 residents worked outside Canada. There are also numbers for how many residents travel outside Haldimand to work and how many come to the county to work. There’s similar data for all Grand Erie communities.

If the information appears dated on the Census Map Tool, since it is from 2016, that just reinforces the importance of completing the 2021 census, so we have more up-to-date data.

March 2021 job numbers show dip in unemployment

by WPBGE | Apr 13, 2021 | Press Release

March 2021 job numbers show that Brantford’s jobless rate dipped after the previous month’s COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were lifted.

The local unemployment rate fell to 7.2% in March, from 7.6% in February, according to seasonally adjusted estimates from the Statistics Canada survey conducted mid-month. Norfolk’s monthly unemployment rate was 9.2% last month, down from 11% during the same month in 2020.

Nationally, Canada gained 303,000 employees, bringing the unemployment rate down 0.7 percentage points to 7.5%. In Ontario, the unemployment rate decreased to 7.5%, from 9.2% the previous month, marking the lowest rate for the province since March 2020.

Statistics Canada’s March survey of Brantford area household was conducted prior to Ontario’s latest stay-at-home order. Job numbers are expected to shift because of that order, said Danette Dalton, executive of the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.

“We are anticipating that the most recent stay-at-home order will have impacts on local employment,” Dalton said. “We’re committed to monitoring local labour market trends closely, and keeping the Grand Erie community informed and educated about local workforce needs and supports.”

Locally, March 2021 job numbers show that the unemployment rate is up 1.7% since March 2020, when the impact of COVID-19 was first felt in Brantford. While employment did rise for both males and females last month, youth (aged 15-24) employment continued its downward trend.

Young women have been particularly affected by pandemic-related labour market shifts, with 2,400 fewer employed since March 2020. Many of these individuals were previously working part-time in the manufacturing, construction and healthcare industries.

More than 1,000 employees joined the Brantford area workforce between February and March, with much of this growth concentrated in the health care and social assistance sector. Meanwhile, employment in Brantford’s wholesale and retail trade and education sectors declined for the third consecutive month.

To assist youth in navigating the world of work, the Workforce Planning Board, in collaboration with organizations from across the region, is hosting a webinar – Youth Work NOW! – on April 29^th at 11 a.m. The event will showcase local resources to help youth aged 15-24 find a summer job, their first full-time job or start their own business! To register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YWN

Visit Statistics Canada to read its News Release about January 2021’s job market in Canada and Ontario.

Area jobless rate hits 16-year record low