unemployment rate Archives - Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie

November job figures among Ontario’s best

by WPBGE | Dec 1, 2023 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

November 2023 employment figures showed that unemployment inched up in Brantford-Brant, despite the addition of several hundred jobs.

Last month’s local jobless rate climbed to 4.2%, up from 4.1% the previous month, even though employment grew by an estimated 500 people, according to the latest labour force survey from Statistics Canada. That increase in jobs caused the local employment rate to improve slightly to 63.3%.

Canada continues to add jobs but that hasn’t kept up with the country’s population growth. November saw employment increase by 25,000 jobs across Canada, but the unemployment rate still increased by 0.1% percentage points to 5.8% due to 78,000 working age people joining the labour pool. Ontario’s unemployment rate fell by 0.1% to 6.1%.

The Brantford area continues to boast the lowest jobless rate compared to neighbouring communities, and is the second lowest in the province, second only to Peterborough’s impressive 2.3%

Yet, while local employment numbers have been trending upwards over the last few months, there’s still room for improvement, said Danette Dalton, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board.

“Compared to this time last year, some of our local job numbers look better, but others don’t, frankly,” Dalton said. “Our unemployment rate in November 2022 was worse at 5.9%, but more people were participating in the labour force and were employed. Looking just at the jobless rate doesn’t tell the whole story.”

Dalton said that the employment rate a year ago was almost 3% higher than last month, and there were fewer people described as Not in the Labour Force: neither employed nor unemployed.

“But 2022 saw incredible, hard-to-beat job growth in our area, to put it in perspective. The 2023 year hasn’t seen as many gains in employment, but the numbers have been improving recently and we hope that continues into next year,” she said.

Retail salesperson was the No. 1 job advertised in November on Grand Erie Jobs, the job board operated by the Workforce Planning Board. Close to 200 of the 1,800 jobs were in retail, while another 100 were for shelf stockers and order fillers. Other top jobs included home support workers and material handlers.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on the November 2023 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.

Local unemployment rate continues to fall

by WPBGE | Jun 9, 2023 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Brantford-Brant’s unemployment rate dropped for the fourth consecutive month in May.

According to Statistics Canada’s monthly labour force survey, the area’s jobless rate shrunk 0.9 points to 4.1% in May, the lowest figure seen since July 2022.

Meanwhile, job gains slowed in Ontario and Canada. The national jobless rate rose to 5.2%, while the provincial rate climbed to 5.5% as a result of 24,000 fewer working.

Locally, employment dipped slightly in May but about 4,000 more people were working compared to May 2022.

The growth is concentrated in the manufacturing sector, but employment in finance and insurance also increased considerably compared to the same month in 2022.

Youth Participation in Decline

“While we remain optimistic given the year-over-year job growth, we do need to focus on supporting more youth with finding meaningful work as the summer approaches,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director.

“We’re seeing a growing number of students unable to find stable part-time employment and a number of youths not participating in the labour force because they feel discouraged. We need to create more opportunities to mentor and engage them, to utilize their unique talents and help them build their skillsets.”

Local community agencies came together last month to host Epic Jobs 2023, which showcased exciting trades and career opportunities to 1,600 elementary school students from across the Grand Erie region.

Grand Erie Jobs, the online job board operated by the Workforce Planning Board, saw about 2,500 new postings in May, down slightly from April. The largest number of postings continues to be in healthcare and social assistance and manufacturing, but postings for food service and retail trade jobs also increased this past month.

Brant County Healthcare System had the largest number of new job posts in May, followed by several regional municipalities.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on May 2023 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.

Brantford jobless rate mirrors that of Canada

by WPBGE | May 5, 2023 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

April 2023 employment numbers saw Brantford-Brant’s jobless rate reach its lowest level in six months.

The area’s unemployment rate dropped to 5% in April, down from March’s 5.3%, according to seasonally adjusted figures released by Statistics Canada. It’s the lowest jobless figure since last October.

The Brantford unemployment rate matches the national rate of 5% and is just off Ontario’s 4.9%. Employment increased by 33,000 in Ontario in April, the bulk of Canada’s total 41,000 job gains.

Several nearby communities within a 1-hour drive have a lower jobless rate than Brantford-Brant, but only one – Guelph – has a higher employment rate.

“When you compare last month’s numbers to April 2022, you see that the number of people in Brantford’s labour force has grown by about 5,000 people in 12 months,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director.

“That’s impressive. Even more impressive is that almost all of those people found jobs.”

Women see more job gains

Women saw a greater share of Brantford-Brant’s employment growth over the last year, adding about 2,300 full-time and 1,000 part-time positions. Employment for men grew by about 600 full-time and 1,100 part-time positions.

Women in the core working ages of 25 to 54 saw the most employment gains, while most of the gains for men were in the 55 to 64 age group. Employment declined for men in the 25 to 54 age group year over year, according too unadjusted figures from Statistics Canada.

There were about 2,700 new postings in April on Grand Erie Jobs, the Workforce Planning Board’s online job board, down about 5% from March. Postings came from about 1,100 different employers.

Tigercat Industries, which has plants in Brantford and Paris, had the largest number of new job posts last month. The other Top-5 employers for postings were all from the public sector, including a school board, hospital and a municipal government.

There is evidence that demand for employees will continue in 2023. Seventy-seven per cent of the 250 Grand Erie businesses who completed the Workforce Planning Board’s EmployerOne survey in January said they anticipate hiring in 2023. That percentage increased to 91% for Brantford based employers.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read their news release on April 2023 employment numbers for Canada and Ontario.

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.

January saw recent job gains retreat locally

by WPBGE | Feb 15, 2023 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

January 2023 employment numbers showed that job gains have stalled in the Brantford area job market, with the jobless rate continuing its recent climb.

Brantford-Brant’s unemployment rate increased to a six-month high in January, reaching 6.8%, up from December’s 6.4%, according to Statistics Canada estimates based on its monthly labour force survey of residents.

Ontario’s jobless rate dipped to 5.2% in January as the provincial economy added 63,000 jobs. Across Canada, the unemployment rate held steady, even though employment grew by 150,000.

Brantford’s labour market retreated in January after recording several months of gains in key categories. After reaching a two-year high to close out 2022, the size of the labour force shrunk in January and employment fell modestly.

“We’ve seen some very strong numbers in recent months for both total employment and more residents participating in the labour force. This has helped ease concerns over the jobless rate,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce Planning Board’s executive director. “Now, unfortunately, we’ve seen some of those gains erode.”

Brantford employment rate still strong

Brantford and Hamilton were the only neighbouring communities where the unemployment rate increased in January. However, despite that, Brantford’s January 2023 employment rate of 65.7% still beats all its neighbours.

“There’s still some positives in the numbers,” Dalton said. “The unemployment rate only tells part of the story.”

After dipping in recent months, the number of jobs on the Grand Erie Jobs job board rebounded in January with 2,900 new postings across the region, which includes Haldimand, Norfolk, Six Nations and Mississaugas of the Credit, as well as Brantford and Brant.

Postings were led by jobs in health care and social assistance, including ones for nurses, PSWs and social workers. There were more than 700 positions in the sector in January, the highest level since the Workforce Planning Board launched Grand Erie Jobs in 2020.

Visit Statistics Canada’s website to read its news release on January 2023 employment in Canada and Ontario.