The regional unemployment rate in the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties jumped to 7.1 per cent in February, up from 6.3 per cent a month prior.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says over 1,500 jobs were lost last month in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region; More than 1,400 were full-time positions.
The regional labour market planning board calls the employment change in February a direct impact of the second provincial lockdown, as employers continue to grapple with decisions on how to manage their businesses amid the uncertainty.
“The services-producing sector continues to be battered by the closures due to the pandemic at the same time some industries in the goods-producing sector are on a rebound,” says Gemma Mendez-Smith, Executive Director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board in a statement. “We need to ensure we have recovery strategies in place for either reskilling or training the workforce for the new local emerging economy. We know there will be change.”
The wholesale/retail trade (-2,900), construction (-1,000) and agriculture (-1,000) sectors led the job losses.
The utilities (+1,900), health care and social assistance (+1,200) and manufacturing industries had employment gains.
The Ontario unemployment rate in February fell to 9.2 per cent. Canada’s national jobless rate was also 9.2 per cent last month, as more than 259,000 new positions were created across the country.
