The London-area unemployment rate held steady last month as the jobless level across Ontario rose slightly, newly released figures show.
The figures published Friday by Statistics Canada show the London region’s April jobless numbers are 6.4 per cent – the same as in March, when the rate rose from 5.9 per cent in February, and two full percentage points higher than it was a year ago. The figures represent London’s census metropolitan area, which also includes Strathroy, St. Thomas and parts of Elgin and Middlesex counties.
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The April numbers also indicate the London area’s total labor force – the number of people 15 and older who are employed or looking for work – rose slightly to 66.2 per cent, an increase of 0.2 per cent from March.
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Here’s how London’s April jobless rate compares to similar-sized cities in Southwestern Ontario:
- London: 6.4 per cent
- Kitchener-Waterloo: 6.2 per cent
- Hamilton: 6.6 per cent
- Windsor: 8.4 per cent
Across Ontario, the jobless rate in April was 6.8 per cent, just a tick higher than March’s 6.7 per cent. Employment provincewide increased by 25,000 people, or 0.3 per cent, from March.
Across Canada, unemployment remained unchanged at 6.1 per cent in April, following an increase of 0.3 per cent in March. It’s now a full percentage point higher than it was one year ago, in April 2023.
Nationwide, 1.3 million people are jobless.
According to Statistics Canada, unemployment rates have risen for all demographics across the country over the past year, but the largest increase was among those aged 15 to 24.
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The country’s youth unemployment rate rose again in April, a 0.2 per cent increase from March to 12.8 per cent. It’s the highest unemployment rate for the demographic since July 2016, excluding 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
London’s monthly jobless numbers (2023-24)
- April 2023 – 4.4 per cent
- May – 4.4 per cent
- June – 4.5 per cent
- July – 5 per cent
- August – 5.6 per cent
- September – 6 per cent
- October – 5.8 per cent
- November – 5.8 per cent
- December – 5.5 per cent
- January 2024 – 5.7 per cent
- February 2024 – 5.9 per cent
- March 2024 – 6.4 per cent
- April 2024 – 6.4 per cent
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