Oshawa has lowest jobless rate in Ontario

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

The number of people out of work in Oshawa continues to decline.

According to new data from Statistics Canada for the month of March, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Oshawa census metropolitan area – which also includes Whitby and Clarington – was 4.5 per cent, down from 4.8 per cent in February, and the lowest CMA rate in the province.

The rolling average over the past three months is 4.9 per cent, down from 6.4 per cent in March 2017.

Oshawa’s three-month average was the second lowest in Ontario, topped only by Guelph at 4.7 per cent.

Nationally, the unemployment rate came in at 5.8 per cent, equal to the previous month.

This matches the lowest mark since Statistics Canada began tracking the rate in 1976, previously reached in 2007.

Across Canada, the March labour market survey showed 68,300 full-time jobs were gained, but part-time jobs decreased by 35,900.

In March, the labour force in Oshawa was 224,200, an increase of 4,300 from February.

The number of employed workers was 214,000, up 4,800 from February and 6,800 from the previous year, while the number of unemployed workers has dropped by 23.3 per cent since March 2017.

Canada’s youth employment rate for March was 10.9 per cent, down slightly from February.