Stats Canada released the latest unemployment numbers and Unemployment (unadjusted) in Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge increased to 11.1% in May from 8.3% in April, and Guelph’s increased to 13.3% compared to 8.8% in April. In May of 2019, Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge had an unemployment rate of 5.2% and Guelph was sitting at 4.9%. The good news is online job postings for Waterloo Wellington Dufferin also increased last month, providing opportunities for jobseekers. According to findyourjob.ca, there was a 55% increase in online job postings in May when compared with April of 2020. There were over 4,300 jobs posted in May of 2020 compared to just under 2,800 in April. The number of new job postings also increased substantially last month. May of 2020 saw 2,424 new postings compared to 1,786 in April.

60% of respondents to a survey conducted locally believe our community will be stronger after the COVID-19 pandemic than it was going into the crisis. The Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin, in partnership with six other workforce planning boards, have released their COVID-19 Worker Impact Survey Results to help inform the ongoing development of responsive employment-related initiatives. Locally, the survey collected 715 respondents from workers and job seekers. The survey also asked about the extent to which a worker’s employment status might have changed since March 2, 2020, their occupation, and in which sector they are employed. This information provides insight into which groups of workers have been most affected and in what ways.

As we collectively work through this challenging period together, Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus would like to share resources that have been created. Please share these with your networks.