High costs of living factoring into Barrie employment numbers
A leader in Barrie's business community says he's not surprised by recent employment data.
Paul Markle, the executive director of the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, says the sectors that have faced the most significant challenges, such as health care, transportation and manufacturing, continue struggling to find employees despite Barrie's unemployment rate remaining below the provincial average.
On Friday, new data shows that Ontario's unemployment rate held steady at five per cent while Barrie's fell three-tenths of a per cent to four per cent.
"Simcoe County has done a good job in developing its sectors, and people that can work here want to work here, and I think businesses have gotten creative in how they are trying to attract new employees, so that's playing a part of that," says Markle.
Markle says that the high costs of living in Simcoe County are leading many people to leave the area altogether, which could be a contributing factor explaining the recent data.
"I think housing affordability and attainability has a lot to do with it," says Markle. "We're certainly seeing a number of people moving from Barrie…out of Ontario into other provinces, so I think that's going to continue to be a problem as well."
The Job Demand Report released on Friday shows 3,528 jobs posted in Barrie in February. Orillia was second with 874, and Collingwood in third with 760 available jobs.
Most of the jobs posted last month were in the sales and service occupations; however, Markle points out that many of those jobs do not set applicants up for success in dealing with the high living costs in the area.
"On the part-time side retail and food service, those types of jobs are the most plentiful obviously, but they don't pay very well, so certainly not jobs that can sustain a lifestyle," says Markle.
Another challenge with local employment numbers is that many of the open jobs are in the skilled trades, a sector that is short of qualified applicants.
Markle expects the job numbers to remain relatively steady next month but says once spring arrives, many sectors that are reliant on warmer weather will open up.
"The need for construction increases with the weather getting better," says Markle. "At the same time, our tourism industry starts to ramp back up; although we are four season but you'll start to see more of those seasonal-type jobs start to enter the market, and I'm that will have an effect on the numbers as well."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Israel gave U.S. last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran, Italian foreign minister says at G7
The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received 'last minute' information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, but didn't participate in the apparent attack, officials said.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.