'Barrie had the highest employment rate in Canada last month': Mayor Lehman boasts

BARRIE, ONT. -- In Barrie, the unemployment rate fell nearly one per cent to 10.8 in May.

Mayor Jeff Lehman posted on social media, "We had the highest employment rate in Canada last month."

Barrie - We had the highest employment rate in Canada last month. Thanks to all those in our business community who chose to keep their people on payroll, and rolled with the punches of COVID but kept trucking. #hardworkingtown https://t.co/80gkhd4m12

— Jeff Lehman (@Mayor_Jeff) July 10, 2020

Ontario gained 378-thousand jobs last month in the first increase since the COVID-19 economic shutdown.

Statistics Canada credits the easing of COVID-19 restrictions that began in late May and expanded on June 12th.

It also says the proportion of employed people who worked less than half of their usual hours declined by 14.1 per cent from 20.6 per cent in the previous month.

Ontario's unemployment rate fell to 12.2 per cent from 13.6 per cent in May -- but remains far higher than the 5.5 per cent recorded in February before the COVID-19 crisis hit.

With files from CTV Barrie