The unemployment rate in the Midwestern Ontario area fell again in July, going down by 0.6 percentage points to five per cent.
The most recent report for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region indicated that while employment dipped slightly, the labour force has decreased even more significantly.
Dana Skirten, CEO of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board, mentioned that there was nothing concerning in the data, but the aging population remains a worry.
“We have been chronically one of the lowest unemployment rates in Ontario for over 10 years,” she said. “We continue to monitor the participation rate. I don’t like seeing that going down. We are not the lowest participation rate in Ontario, but we do definitely keep an eye on that.”
This February, the Planning Board a report looking into various aspects of the job market that affect whether young people choose to stay or leave the region.
She pointed out that rural areas often see youth moving away for training opportunities, but they are still exploring strategies employers can use to encourage them to return. They are also looking at ways to support an aging population through immigration.
Another issue being monitored by the planning board is job losses within health care after raising concerns in June’s report.
Skirten stated that although some felt the numbers didn’t accurately represent reality, more detailed breakdowns available later showed which sectors were affected.
“We looked and its mainly in the ambulatory and residential care areas that we saw the biggest losses,” she said. “We’ll continue to watch that, we’re hoping it rebounds.. health care is definitely one of the sectors we’re watching and we’re going to have to dig into why.”
There are currently over 1,300 job postings available for the region at www. connect2JOBS. ca.
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