The unemployment rate in an area that includes Bruce and Grey counties fell to 3.6 per cent last month.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says it’s the lowest unemployment number for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region since November 2024.
But the rosy headline number comes as a result of a shrinking labour force, as there were job losses and fewer people working in the region in September.
The planning board says total employment fell in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region by 2,200 last month, with 500 full-time job losses and also more than 1,600 part-time positions.
The region’s overall labour force size declined by 3,100 people. And the labour force participation rate fell to 56.2 per cent. This number measures everyone of working age — 15 or older — who has a job or is looking for one, against the total eligible working age population.
Employment gains were posted in the transportation and warehousing (+600), public administration (+900), health care and social assistance (+800) and fishing, mining, forestry, oil and gas (+300) sectors.
The manufacturing (-2,700), construction (-1,000), business, building and support services (-400) and agriculture (-200) industries led the job losses.
Ontario’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.3 per cent in September. Nationally, it increased to 6.5 per cent as the Canadian economy shed more than 68,000 jobs.