Windsor’s high unemployment rate doesn’t paint the whole picture: Experts

New Statistic Canada number show there were over 18,000 people still unemployed in our area and looking for work in November.

"We went down 0.1 per cent, so unemployment seems like it's relatively status quo,” said Justin Falconer, CEO of Workforce Windsor-Essex.

“However, if you start looking at all the underlying numbers, a lot of great news in this month. In fact, I hope we get more months like this.”

Falconer is encouraged by the recent monthly report because it showed a record number of people were punching in to work.

"2,700 new employed people in our region. That makes 196,300 people employed in the Windsor census metropolitan area. Most ever recorded of all time," he said.

Falconer said the working age population grew by 1,100, giving the region a net gain of jobs, which has been a struggle in previous months.

While unemployment is slightly down in our area, it still tops the list in Canada. The jobless rate is up 0.8 per cent provincially. Nationally, it is up 0.3 per cent.

"With Nexstar, they've only hired about 400 people so far. There's still 2000 to go," noted Joe Goncalves, CEO of Invest Windsor-Essex.

"We also have the supply chain companies that are supplying them. They'll be ramping up as well.”

Goncalves believes better times are ahead with another 1,300 jobs yet to be announced, with more in the pipeline.

"We've landed pharmaceutical companies and agri-tech companies. And we've done that with a very small department here with only two people, so we just have to keep doing that,” Goncalves said.

Workforce Windsor-Essex has done analysis that shows Windsor and Sudbury are the most affordable cities in Ontario to raise a family and more people are expected, with more jobs on the way.

"Over the last 12 months, we've added 12,100 new jobs in this in these communities and it's very exciting." Falconer said.

Goncalves believes more investments are needed to attract more companies.

"This is when you got to double down," Goncalves said.

"I believe that we can turn this into one of the best places to live in Canada, if we stay focused."