National unemployment on the rise while Windsor declines

 

By: Y. Murad Erzinclioglu

The national unemployment rate rose to 7.2 per cent in March, Statistics Canada announced the first week of April.

Following an increase in employment during the month of February, employment declined by 55,000 jobs in March, and all in full time positions. Despite the decline, employment is 1.2 per cent higher than the rate during March of last year.

Provincially, employment declined across the board with the highest losses coming Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta with Ontario seeing a loss of 17,000 jobs, accounting for 31 per cent of total losses.

Industries that saw the largest declines include accommodation and food services, public administration and manufacturing, with little change among other industries.

In the face of these losses Windsor’s unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percent to 9 per cent. The city remains the fifth highest in Canada coming in behind Barrie, Saint John, N.B., London and Peterborough, which holds the country’s highest unemployment rate at 10.2 per cent.

Tanya Antoniw is the director of project management at Work Force Windsor-Essex. The organization has been in place for three years acting as the local job development board. She said the national rise doesn’t deter them from their work and sees an optimistic future for employment in the city.

“A downward trend over the past few months is a positive indicator for us overall,” Antoniw said. “We’re happy to see that people are finding employment and that they are optimistic.”

A few months ago the unemployment rate in the city had risen above 10 per cent due to an increased number of people entering the labour force. Antoniw said decline is a positive indicator for the region and she is hard at work with colleagues to aid in the trend.

“We provide the information out to the available work force, to students, to graduates, to those looking for a career change, of what are the jobs of tomorrow? What are employers looking for in terms of skill sets and education,” Antoniw said. “There are jobs available in Windsor-Essex, it’s what experience and skills do you need to get those jobs.”

Antoniw said local business owners have been very optimistic about growth and creating jobs and a rise in the number of entrepreneurs in the area could aid in that goal.

For more information on Workforce Windor-Essex and their variety of employment initiatives visit www.workforcewindsoressex.com.