labour market Archives - Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie

Influx of new job seekers continues

by WPBGE | Aug 8, 2025 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

July employment numbers showed that the Brantford-Brant labour market continues to see major changes, with an influx of job seekers causing shifts, both positive and negative.

For the fifth month in a row, the local labour force grew dramatically in July, increasing the number of employed and unemployed residents at the same time and pushing up the monthly jobless rate.

July saw the Brantford-Brant unemployment rate jump to 7.8 per cent, up from June’s 7 per cent, according to the latest seasonally adjusted estimates, released by Statistics Canada.

The local jobless rate is just shy of Ontario’s July unemployment rate of 7.9 per cent, but almost a full percentage point above the Canadian 6.9 per cent average.

July 2025 employment figures also showed that Brantford-Brant had the highest jobless rate in July compared to neighbouring labour markets, with the next closest being Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo at 7.3 per cent.

“More people are participating in the local labour market, but it is typical that not all those people find jobs and that pushes up the unemployment rate,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director.

“Since March, an estimated 6,800 people have joined the labour force, with 4,700 finding employment. And while it is terrible that 2,000 people didn’t find work, overall, our economy has gained jobs even in the midst of so much global uncertainty. That is no small achievement.”

Dalton said there’s no single reason that explains the recent influx of people into the labour market.

Factors could include population growth, a drop in self-employment, perhaps with some of those people looking for steady paycheques, and a higher cost of living prompting others to search for work, she said.

“The big increase in unemployed residents – 2,000 more since March and 3,000 since January – reinforces the need for more supports for individuals, from the community and governments,” she said. “Local employment services are facing much higher caseloads.”

The Workforce Planning Board’s job board, Grand Erie Jobs, saw a similar number of posts last month as in June, with more than 1,800 new jobs advertised by about 1,000 employers.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on the July 2025 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.

2024’s labour market plan is published

by WPBGE | Mar 1, 2024 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

2024’s labour market plan for Grand Erie talks about the need for all players in the local labour force to work together to manage expectations in the face of disruptions caused by external factors.

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie’s newest labour market plan is titled Moving Beyond Disruption: Managing Expectations for Tomorrow’s Workforce.

The planning board publishes a report each year with support from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

The 50-page report drew on community input and data analysis to paint a picture of the labour market in Brantford, Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant counties.

Danette Dalton, the planning board’s executive director, said that Grand Erie’s labour market has been impacted over the last year by disruptions caused from inflation, foreign conflicts, climate change and the emergence of AI. Those disruptions are expected to continue.

“Moving beyond disruption means we need to take the time to make sustainable decisions that are supportive of our workforce, our businesses, our communities and our environment – today and in the future,” said Dalton.

Job seekers, workers and businesses have different priorities and expectations on a wide number of labour issues, from wages to skills training, from flexible work to diversity. But the different groups will have to work together constructively, compromising sometimes, in order to cope with the disruptions.

Dalton said 2024’s labour market plan confirms the need for continued investment in skills training and upgrading, especially for residents not participating in the labour market. And work needs to continue to support groups that have been historically underrepresented in the labour market, including residents who are Indigenous, racialized, newcomers, people with disabilities and youth.

“Workforce development strategies for Grand Erie need to be human-centred. There are many people who feel overwhelmed by the disruptions that have taken place and don’t think they have a place in today’s labour market. They need our support.”

English and French versions of Moving Beyond Disruption can be found on our website HERE

Quality of Work – New Local Survey

by WPBGE | Jul 14, 2022 | Press Release

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie has launched a new survey that is digging into how people perceive quality of work at their current or past workplaces.

Quality of work typically refers to a combination of things like a job’s income and benefits, job security, chance for promotion, opportunities to use skills, workplace culture and more.

For the last few years, our annual employer survey results have highlighted the growing obstacles that businesses face in finding and retaining suitable employees. Turnover triggered by quits, workplace culture and lack of work-life balance has been increasing and this has significant impacts on business operations.

With the added volatility of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to better understand the factors that influence quality of work, and to scope out the opportunities, challenges and barriers to supporting the Grand Erie labour market.

We will be examining the “quality of work” amongst workers within six industries in the Grand Erie area (healthcare and social assistance, retail trade, construction, manufacturing, accommodation and food services and agriculture.) The research will be carried out through a workforce survey that will measure the quality of work along 6 dimensions defined by Statistics Canada.

With this survey, we want to better understand what people value in a job, the workplace and their leaders. It is important to hear from workers, what attracts them to apply for a job and to stay in a job.

Many employers are experiencing labour shortages and they are competing for workers. Having a reputation of providing a good work culture and jobs can make a business stand out. The survey should help businesses, community organizations and local government learn more about what workers value in a workplace, and could prompt changes that strengthen quality of work.

Employers may learn what improvements or best practices they can implement in their workplace to give workers a stronger incentive to stay. And a good quality of work and work-life balance at a workplace can be a big selling point to potential new hires.

Individuals who complete the survey may find themselves better equipped to open up conversations with their managers about how their work quality can be enhanced. Results may also help those looking for work to identify industries that best support their quality of work goals.

Further, data collected through this survey can help community organizations/government develop better, more targeted programs and services to support our workforce’s needs.

The survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, is open to employees and job seekers 15 years and older who lives in Brantford, Six Nations, New Credit and Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk counties and will be running until September of this year. Those who complete the survey will have a chance to win a prize in a weekly draw.

The research project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre, a forward-looking organization that prototypes, tests and measures new and innovative approaches to skills development across Canada. To learn more about Future Skills Centre, visit: fsc-ccf.ca

Thank you to our survey sponsors: