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Local unemployment rate sees big decline

by WPBGE | Mar 10, 2023 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

February 2023 employment numbers show that Brantford’s jobless rate fell for the firsst time in six months.

The Brantford-Brant unemployment rate last month was 5.8%, a one percentage drop from January’s 6.8%, according to Statistics Canada’s monthly labour force survey of area residents.

Job gains slowed in Ontario and for Canada as a whole in February. Canada’s jobless rate was unchanged at 5%, while Ontario nudged down to 5.1%.

Brantford’s jobless rate decreased largely due to fewer people being unemployed. Some of those people found jobs, while a greater share appears to have left the labour market.

“You don’t want to see people leave the labour market, especially at a time when some employers have shortages, but our overall level of employment remains impressive,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director.

“Brantford has the second highest employment rate among nearby communities, only behind Guelph.”

Dalton said looking at the employment rate – the percentage of residents 15 years and older who are working – can give a fuller picture of the health of any community’s labour market.

For example, St. Catharines-Niagara’s jobless rate in February was 4.3% but its employment rate was 58.4%. By comparison, Brantford’s jobless rate looks worse at 5.8%, but the percentage of people employed is far better at 65.9%, she said.

Dalton added that Brantford’s February 2023 employment rate looks even more impressive when it comes to people in the core working ages of 24 to 54. Brantford’s employment rate for this age group is 89.3%, which is higher than nearby communities – and the second highest in Ontario.

“That’s a new high for this area according to Statistics Canada figures dating back to 2006,” she said.

There were about 2,500 new job postings in February across the region on the Grand Erie Jobs online job board. The largest number of postings continues to be in health care and social assistance, while postings in manufacturing and construction increased. The number of retail positions continues to slide, which is not unusual to see in the post-Christmas season.

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

More residents active in area labour force

by WPBGE | Jan 6, 2023 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

December 2022 employment numbers saw Brantford-Brant’s labour force swell in size, resulting in a higher jobless rate when not everyone was able to find jobs.

The Brantford area’s unemployment rate climbed to 5.8% last month, up from November’s 5.2%, based on estimates from Statistics Canada’s monthly labour force survey. Norfolk County’s unemployment rate stood at 7.5% in December, higher than recent months but below that of one year ago.

Across Canada, December 2022 employment grew by 104,000, dropping the national jobless rate to an even 5%. Ontario gained 43,000 jobs and the provincial monthly rate fell to 5.3%.

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie says concern over the Brantford area’s higher unemployment is eased by a growth in the employment and participation rates.

Labour force participation

“The percentage of people participating in the local labour force is at a 2 1/2 -year high, which is healthy to see,” said Executive Director Danette Dalton. “And the local employment rate remains strong, just off the 3-year high we saw a couple months ago.”

Brantford’s unemployment rate is similar to that of London and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, but higher than Hamilton and St. Catharines-Niagara.

However, Brantford has the highest labour force participation rate of surrounding communities, at 69.5%. Next closest is the Kitchener area’s 69%. Canada and Ontario both have a participation rate of 64.9%.

The Workforce Planning Board is urging local employers to complete its EmployerOne survey this month to help the community gain a fuller picture of the local labour market.

Survey link: www.surveymonkey.com/r/E12023

Hiring often slows down during December, something that is reflected in the latest numbers from Grand Erie Jobs. There were about 2,150 new job postings last month, down more than 500 from November.

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

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.

Local unemployment drops once again

by WPBGE | Jun 10, 2022 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

May 2022 employment numbers show Brantford’s jobless is now the lowest in southern Ontario, after it dropped for the sixth straight month.

The city’s unemployment rate declined to 4.6% in May, down from April’s 4.8%, according to seasonally adjusted estimates released by Statistics Canada on Friday.

In Ontario, only Belleville, Sudbury and Thunder Bay have jobless rates lower than Brantford-Brant. The rates for the adjacent communities of Hamilton, St. Catharines-Niagara, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo are just above 5%.

Canada’s economy added 40,000 jobs in May, driven by job gains for women, dropping the national monthly unemployment rate to 5.1% – a new record low. Ontario’s rate was little changed at 5.5%.

Brantford’s jobless rate has fallen by a full 3% in the last six months, the largest decline among all Ontario communities surveyed, as well as provincially and nationally.

“The recent decline in Brantford’s jobless rate has been impressive,” said Danette Dalton, executive director. “That doesn’t mean there still aren’t challenges or room for improvement in the local labour market.”

Dalton said that even though unemployment has dropped, there are still fewer people participating in the labour market than six months ago.

“There are about 2,000 less people in the labour force, which is contributing to a tight labour market and making it difficult for some employers to fill job openings,” she said. “They want to hire but they can’t find the people.”

Grand Erie Jobs, the Workforce Planning Board’s community job board, saw more than 4,000 new job postings in May, on par with last month’ Employers with the most job postings included Wilfrid Laurier, Brant Community Healthcare System, Lowe’s, and local governments.

May 2022 employment statistics also showed am increase in part-time work and a drop in full-time work. This is most noticeable among women and among all workers 15 to 24 in age, many of whom work in the service industry. Month-over-month, meanwhile, May employment grew the most in manufacturing, according to Statistics Canada..

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

Jobless rate drops without job gains

by WPBGE | Feb 8, 2022 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

January 2022 employment numbers for Brantford showed the unemployment plunged, but it was due to people leaving the labour force, not job gains.

The local unemployment rate for January was 6.5%, down from 7.6% in December, based on a survey conducted by Statistics Canada during the week of Jan. 9 to 15, soon after Ontario started a lockdown designed to lessen the impact of the Omicron virus.

Canada’s unemployment rate edged up to 6.5% in January, after employment fell by 200,000, attributed to lockdowns in several provinces that especially impacted women and youth working part time in service-related jobs. Ontario was the hardest hit province, losing 146,000 positions, causing the unemployment rate to jump to 7.3%.

“At first glance, it appears that the Brantford area bucked the trend and employment held steady despite the lockdown,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director. “However, other job numbers suggest more people have left the labour market, which may be concerning.”

Statistics Canada also collects data on the number of people “not in the labour force.” This includes people who are neither employed nor actively looking for work, such as retirees, students and caregivers.

January 2022 employment numbers showed an estimated 41,500 area residents aged 15 and over not in the labour force, the highest level in 20 months since May 2020, during the pandemic’s first wave. The largest increase in this category is among women in the 65+ age group, some of whom may have worked part time previously.

“Women and students who might typically work part time in service jobs in food and retail may have become especially discouraged by all the disruptions, the ups and downs, caused by the pandemic,” Dalton said. “Some of those workers may return to the labour market once things stabilize.”

Others may have chosen to go back to school to retrain for different careers, looking for more stability in their work lives and better pay, she added.

During January, there were about 3,000 job postings on Grand Erie Jobs, the region’s largest job board, which is operated by the Workforce Planning Board. The number had dipped in December after surpassing 3,200 a month last fall.

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