Sarnia-Lambton's unemployment rate is the highest in the tri-county area according to the latest Local Labour Market Update.
The Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board report says in May of this year the local jobless rate was at 8.3%.
Executive Director Shauna Carr says there isn't the growth they'd prefer to see.
"Obviously we're not is dire straights by any means, but if you look at the unemployment rate for Sarnia-Lambton compared to our economic region, which of course includes the municipality of Chatham-Kent and the municipality of Windsor-Essex, they're doing much better," says Carr.
The report shows the jobless rate in Windsor-Essex in May was 6.7% and 7.9% in Chatham-Kent.
Carr says the majority of businesses in Sarnia-Lambton are small to medium sized, with 1 to 100 employees.
"We have a lot of owner-operated businesses in Sarnia-Lambton. Those are folks who have left good employment because they wanted to be their own boss, generally. They usually employ just themselves. What we're hearing from those folks though is, they have a lot of business, they have a lot of customers and are doing quite well. So if they could expand there compliment by one or two employees, that would mean a significant number of jobs in our local area."
Carr says construction of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge is a factor contributing to improved numbers in the Windsor area.
She doesn't see any specific reason as to why Chatham-Kent seems to be growing at a better rate.
