The jobless rate in the London region rose for a third consecutive month in March.
Statistics Canada released figures on Friday that put the unemployment rate in the London Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) at 6.4 per cent last month. That is up from 5.9 per cent in February and an increase of one and a half percentage points from a year ago. The last time the local unemployment rate was higher than 6 per cent was in October 2022 when it climbed to 6.5 per cent.
The labour force, which is the number of people 15 and older who are either working or looking for work, also went up slightly last month. The labour participation rate, which measures the percentage of the population that is included in the labour force, was also up a notch to 66 per cent from 65.9 per cent in February.
The London CMA includes St. Thomas, Strathroy, and other surrounding communities.
Nationally, the unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent in March with more people looking for work. It is the largest jump in the rate since summer 2022. It had been 5.8 per cent in February. The economy lost 2,200 jobs with the bulk of those losses in accommodation and food services, wholesale and retail trade and professional, scientific, and technical services.
In Ontario, the rate went up 0.2 per cent from 6.5 per cent in February to 6.7 per cent in March. The rise comes despite the province adding 26,100 jobs last month, including 11,400 in the construction sector and 7,100 in the manufacturing sector.
