Local unemployment rate increases slightly

After months of enjoying a dropping unemployment rate in Brantford-Brant, the statistic climbed slighting in July to 4.2 percent, up from June’s 3.9 percent.

It still left this area tied for the second lowest rate in the province, according to the numbers released Friday.

The national unemployment rate also rose slightly to 5.5 percent and the provincial rate slide up slightly to 5.6 percent.

According to data released by the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie, those stats mean Brantford has the lowest jobless rate in its area of ​​the province, followed by Guelph at 4.4 percent.

The agency said both full and part-time employment decreased when looking at July compared to June.

“We’re seeing a growing number of older adults leave the labor force, which creates more job openings,” said the planning board’s Danette Dalton, “but many of these are hard to fill because there’s a limited labor supply.”

The executive director added that, over the past few months, the agency has seen an increase in the number of “core-working aged adults” who aren’t in the labor force.

“We need to strategize ways to support these individuals by addressing obstacles that deter them from looking for work,” said Dalton.

The group’s online job board – Grand Erie Jobs – had about 2,350 new postings last month, which was down slightly from June.

Workers were sought for the retail trade industry, including sales, followed by healthcare, social and community service workers, early childhood educators, and waste management workers.

There were also a good number of postings for material handlers, customer and information service reps, personal support workers and university profs or lecturers.

The planning agency also is finalizing an in-depth study looking at how workers can be supported by improving the quality of work across the workplace.

“We observed major gaps in how employers and employees viewed job quality,” said Dalton, “but also, significant opportunities for collaborations between sectors, governments, community agencies and workers.”

That report – Examining Quality of Work in Grand Erie – will be released next month.

The Workplace Planning Board is one of 26 non-profit organizations that play a leadership role in labor force planning. The board is funded, in part, by the federal and provincial governments.

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