CORNWALL – After four months of steadily riding unemployment, the jobless rate in Eastern Ontario retreated in May.
The rate for the region from Brockville to Ottawa and east to Quebec was 7.0 per cent, compared to 7.3 per cent in April.
But in Cornwall, the rate jumped to 9.1 per cent from 8.8 per cent in April.
The numbers suggest while the city labour force grew, it was offset by people not participating in active job seeking.
Canada’s unemployment rate fell to 6.9 per cent in May, it’s lowest point since 2015, as the economy added 13,800 jobs.
Economists had expected the unemployment rate to be unchanged at 7.1 per cent.
Ontario’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.6 per cent from 7.0 per cent the month before.