Windsor has highest unemployment rate in Canada again

The Welcome to Windsor sign on Matchette Road in Windsor, Ont., on Feb. 8, 2017. (Chris Campbell / CTV Windsor)

The unemployment rate in Windsor has gone down slightly, but is still the highest in the country, according to Statistics Canada.

The city’s jobless rate was 8.2 per cent in December, compared to 8.6 per cent in November.

The second highest rate is in St. John's, N.L., at 7.2 per cent.

Windsor also had the highest unemployment rate in the county in November.

On a national level, the Canadian economy added 104,000 jobs in December as the unemployment rate fell slightly to 5.0 per cent, Statistics Canada said Friday.

This marks the third decline in the unemployment rate in fourth months, edging it closer to the record-low of 4.9 per cent reached in June and July.

In its latest labour force survey, the federal agency said the rise in employment was driven by an increase in full-time work.

The number of employees in the private sector also increased last month, with job gains made across industries.

Meanwhile, employment in the public sector held steady.

Wages continued to grow at a year-over-year pace above 5.0 per cent for the seventh consecutive month, with wages up 5.1 per cent.

However, wage growth still lags the country's inflation rate, which was 6.8 per cent in November.

Employment among youth aged 15 to 24 rose in December, fully recouping job losses experienced between July and September.

The jobs report also noted that the employment rate among women between the ages of 25 and 54 reached a record-high last month.

A portion of this report was first published by The Canadian Press on Jan. 5, 2023.