Story perspectives

Stratford-Bruce Unemployment Falls to 5.6% as Health Jobs Drop 12%

7/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

The unemployment rate in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region fell to 5.6 percent in June, the second-lowest rate in Ontario.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board warned that health-care and social-assistance jobs dropped from 27,900 in February to 17,200 in June.
The health-care and social-assistance sector recorded an 11.8 percent decline in employment in June.
Overall regional employment remained at an estimated 168,200 jobs while the labor-force population declined.

History

Historical Context

Ontario’s unemployment climbed above 8% in 2008, echoing Canada’s 8.4% rate in May 2009, as the Bank of Canada declared a recession in December 2008. The country shed tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs—71,000 were lost in November 2008—while the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region saw health-care positions fall from 27,900 to 17,200 between February and June, prompting renewed labour-policy focus.

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Story summary

The unemployment rate in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region fell to 5.6 percent in June, the second-lowest rate in Ontario.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board warned that health-care and social-assistance jobs dropped from 27,900 in February to 17,200 in June.
The health-care and social-assistance sector recorded an 11.8 percent decline in employment in June.
Overall regional employment remained at an estimated 168,200 jobs while the labor-force population declined.

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