Windsor’s unemployment rate is second-highest in Canada
Windsor has the second-highest unemployment rate in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.
The jobless rate in the area decreased slightly in May to 6.5 per cent, compared to 6.7 per cent in April.
Only one other city has a higher rate – Peterborough, Ont., at 7.1 per cent.
On a national level, Canada's unemployment rate ticked higher to 5.2 per cent in May, marking the first increase since August 2022 as economists have been watching for any sign of a softening labour market.
Overall employment was little changed last month as the economy lost a modest 17,000 jobs, Statistics Canada reported Friday.
The job report comes one day after the Bank of Canada raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, bringing it to 4.75 per cent, the highest it's been since 2001.
The decision was prompted by a string of hot economic data, including a surprisingly resilient labour market. The central bank said the resilience of the Canadian economy suggests getting inflation back to two per cent may be harder than it had previously expected.
Canada's unemployment rate was previously hovering at five per cent for five consecutive months, just above the all-time low of 4.9 per cent reached last summer.
However, the federal agency noted in the report that job growth has moderated in recent months. It says monthly job gains between February and April averaged at 33,000. That follows the economy adding more than 300,000 jobs cumulatively between September and January.
According to Friday's report, fewer people were working in business, building and other support services as well as professional, scientific and technical services last month.
Meanwhile, employment rose in manufacturing, other services and utilities.
Employment among youth was also down, suggesting a slow start to the summer hiring season.
The central bank has been particularly concerned about how fast wages are growing, arguing that wage growth in the four to five per cent range is incompatible with a two per cent inflation target.
The federal agency says wages were 5.1 per cent higher in May compared with a year ago.
A portion of this report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.