The unemployment rate in the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties increased last month.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says the jobless rate for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region hit 5.3 per cent in March, up slightly from 5.1 per cent a month prior.
It is still the lowest regional unemployment rate in the province.
More than 3,700 full-time positions were lost in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region in March, partially offset by the addition of 200 new part-time jobs.
Overall employment in the region declined by 3,600.
The labour force participation rate also declined to 61.1 per cent. The 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.
The healthcare and social assistance (-3,300), construction (-1,600), other services (-1,600), and agriculture (-1,300) sectors led the job losses in the region last month.
Employment gains were posted in the wholesale and retail trade (+2,100), transportation and warehousing (+900), utilities (+700) and business, building and support services (+300) industries.
“Although this month shows another decline in the participation rate for the region we continue to monitor changes for seasonal rebounds,” Four County Labour Market Planning Board Executive Director Dana Soucie says in a release. “As a rural region with a chronically low unemployment rate, collaborations and continued services to support sectors in need are critical to the health of our future workforce.”
Ontario’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.6 per cent last month. Nationally it also held steady, at 6.7 per cent — as the Canadian economy added a modest 14,000 jobs.