Tags: Business - Jobs, Ontario's Business

Ontario’s unemployment rate climbs to 8.1%

Unemployment increased in January among younger workers and adult men

February 8, 2012

TORONTO, ON, Feb. 8, 2012/ Troy Media/ – Employment in Ontario totalled 6.75 million persons in January, effectively unchanged from December, according to the results of Statistics Canada’s latest Labour Force Survey.

The labour force increased by an estimated 21,300 persons, which drove the unemployment rate up to 8.1 per cent from 7.7 per cent in December. All numbers are seasonally-adjusted, unless otherwise noted.

Unemployment increased in January among younger workers and adult men. By industry, employment declined in professional-technical services and health-social services, offset by job growth in educational services and agriculture. We forecast that average employment in Ontario will increase 1.5 per cent this year and 2.1 per cent in 2013, following growth of 1.8 per cent last year.

Industries where forecast job growth is highest include retail-wholesale trade, construction, professional-technical services, transportation, health-social services and accommodation-food services. Little job growth is forecast in public administration and utilities. Ontario’s unemployment rate is forecast to average 7.5 per cent in 2012 and 6.9 per cent in 2013, down from 7.8 per cent last year.

Regions

Regionally, recent job declines were concentrated in the Toronto and Northeast economic regions, offset by growth in the Hamilton-Niagara, Ottawa, Kingston-Pembroke and Muskoka-Kawarthas regions.

Toronto

Employment in metropolitan Toronto totalled 1.92 million persons in January, effectively unchanged from December. The labour force increased by an estimated 18,400 persons, which drove the unemployment rate up to 9.1 per cent from 8.4 per cent in December. The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are negative. Over the latest three months, average employment decreased by an estimated 26,500 persons (0.8 per cent) from the previous three months, while the average unemployment rate increased from 8.5 per cent to 8.9 per cent of the labour force.

Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are positive. Over the latest three months, average employment increased by an estimated 15,900 persons (2.2 per cent) from the previous three months, while the average unemployment rate decreased from 7.3 per cent to 6.5 per cent of the labour force.

Ottawa

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are positive. Over the latest three months, average employment increased by an estimated 12,700 persons from the previous three months, while the average unemployment rate inched down from 6.5 per cent to 6.4 per cent of the labour force.

Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are little changed. Over the latest three months, average employment was effectively unchanged from the prior three months, while the average unemployment rate inched down from 7.3 per cent to 7.1 per cent of the labour force.

Windsor-Sarnia

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are negative. Over the latest three months, average employment inched down by an estimated 700 persons (0.2 per cent) from the prior three months, while the average unemployment rate increased from 9.0 per cent to 10.0 per cent of the labour force.

London

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are little changed. Over the latest three months, average employment and the unemployment rate were effectively unchanged from the prior three months.

Northeast

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are negative. Over the latest three months, average employment decreased by an estimated 4,100 persons (1.5 per cent) from the prior three months. Meanwhile, the average unemployment rate actually declined from 7.7 per cent to 6.9 per cent of the labour force. This region’s population and labour force participation are in decline.

Kingston-Pembroke

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are positive. Over the latest three months, average employment increased by an estimated 5,200 persons (2.4 per cent) from the preceding three months. Meanwhile, the average unemployment rate declined from 7.3 per cent to 6.3 per cent of the labour force.

Muskoka-Kawarthas

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are positive. Over the latest three months, average employment increased by an estimated 5,400 persons (3.0 per cent) from the previous three months, while the average unemployment rate declined from 8.1 per cent to 7.1 per cent of the labour force.

Stratford-Bruce Peninsula

The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are positive. Over the latest three months, average employment increased by an estimated 1,000 persons (0.7 per cent) from the preceding three months. Meanwhile, the average unemployment rate declined from 5.3 per cent to 4.6 per cent of the labour force.

Northwest The latest seasonally adjusted, short-term trends in labour market indicators are little changed. Over the latest three months, average employment and the unemployment rate were effectively unchanged from the prior three months.

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