The unemployment rate in the Windsor area improved in September even as fresh labour market numbers show Canada’s economy shed jobs for a second straight month. The jobless rate improved to 7.3 per cent in September after sitting at 7.5 per cent in August. It marks the fifth month in a row the local jobless rate has improved after sitting at 8.2 per cent in May. Statistics Canada says the national economy lost 68,000 jobs in September, and the unemployment rate ticked higher to 6.5 per cent. Young workers aged 15 to 24 bore the brunt of the losses last month with 48,000 fewer jobs, though women aged 25 to 54 also saw employment levels fall. StatCan says job losses were split between full- and part-time work and were concentrated in the public sector. The educational services, healthcare, and manufacturing industries led the declines last month, with some gains from a segment that includes repair, maintenance, and other household services. September’s employment figures fell short of economists’ call for a gain of 9,200 jobs and offset what had been a hot streak for the labour market through the spring and early summer.
