March 2015 – Climate of Increased Participation Rates

By March 13, 2015 March 10th, 2020 News, News Release 2015

News Release

March 2015 – Climate of Increased Participation Rates

Media Information:

WALKERTON (March 13, 2015) – A slight drop in employment in Stratford-Bruce-Peninsula (Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth counties) mirrored Canada’s drop in February, while the local unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points to 5.6% as more people were searching for work.

Compared with January 2015, local participation in full-time employment dropped 1%, a loss of 1,200, while part-time employment increased by 900, or 2%. From an industry perspective, the local labour market experienced a decline of 4.2% in both Professional, scientific and technical services and Information, culture and recreation, followed by a 2.6% in Health care and social assistance. The province experienced similar declines in each of these industries.

Lower unemployment numbers for Stratford-Bruce Peninsula (5.6%), compared to the province’s rate (6.8%), could point to a tight local labour pool, but a local increased participation rate, from 65.5% to 65.8%, suggests local employers looking to hire had more candidates to select from in February.

An EmployerOne Survey recently asked local employers for input into today’s hiring challenges. The Four County Labour Market Planning Board’s (FCLMPB) survey revealed that employers often find they cannot fill a position because of too few applicants. While they mainly rely on word of mouth for recruitment and hiring, job seekers are still relying on job ads to find employment.

“There is an obvious disconnect between an employer’s main method of recruitment and job seeker approach,” said Gemma Mendez-Smith of the FCLMPB. “It is important for job seekers in this climate of increased participation rates to connect with employers. Learning to network effectively can improve hiring chances.”

Tina Rupert, Branch Manager of vpi Inc., Walkerton, added, “It’s about the importance of first impressions. Creating a strong, lasting impression will not only enhance your chances of attaining employment, but will also open additional doors for networking and connections in your local labour market.”

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Note: Statistics Canada’s monthly Labour Force Survey provides estimates of employment andunemployment, based on a sampling of households in communities. Stratford-Bruce Peninsula figures represent a three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality.