Windsor unemployment rate highest in Canada, climbs to 9.2%

Windsor's unemployment rate is once again the highest in Canada at 9.2 per cent, according to Statistics Canada numbers for August released Friday morning.

The rate has jumped 3.2 percentage points year over year from six per cent in August of 2023.

It's also up from 9.1 per cent in July, despite a slight drop in labour force participation.

The numbers are seasonally-adjusted three-month moving averages.

The highest unemployment rates among Canada's largest census metropolitan areas are:

1. Windsor: 9.2 per cent
2. Edmonton: 8.6 per cent
3. Toronto: 8 per cent
4. Oshawa: 7.8 per cent
5. Calgary / St. Catharines-Niagara (tie): 7.5 per cent

'A blip in time,' mayor says

Asked about the numbers on Friday, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said he's "not too fussed about it."

According to Dilkens, the national numbers do not match up with what's happening locally.

"Clearly I want it to be lower than it is today, but I look at what we have in the pipeline with [the NextStar EV battery plant], I look at lots of construction jobs that are coming with the hospital once the [Gordie Howe International]bridge is done and the opportunities we're working on with the province and others post-bridge construction," he said.

"I think the future is bright. And you've heard me say many times, I've never been more optimistic about the future of our community than I am today and I stand by that.

"So, this is a blip in time that I think will change relatively soon," Dilkens added.

When pressed about the length of time that Windsor has had the highest unemployment rate, themayor maintains that there are jobs available.

"Everywhere I go, people are looking for people who want to work, so it's a matter of finding those people and matching those folks up," he said.

"Everywhere I go a restaurant trying to find servers, everywhere along the pipeline, trying to find talent is extremely, extremely difficult.

"So if you have skills and you actually want to work, we have a full team of people who are looking to match employers with people who want to work. We can find you a job pretty darn quick," he said.

Approximately 19,500 people are currently unemployed within the Windsor census metropolitan area.

Canada-wide, the unemployment rate climbed by just 0.2 percentage points in August to 6.6 per cent.