Barrie’s jobless rate continues to drop: Statistics Canada

The unemployment rate in Barrie has continued to drop, with the city recording a jobless rate of 4.8 per cent in December.

According to new numbers released by Statistics Canada on Friday, Barrie’s unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 per cent, falling from the five-per-cent rate recorded in November.

Barrie’s jobless rate is now the third lowest in the province, sitting behind Guelph and Hamilton, which recorded unemployment numbers of 2.3 per cent and 4.3 per cent, respectively.

The city’s unemployment rate is now also significantly lower than both the provincial and national averages.

Canada’s jobless rate remained at 5.6 per cent in December, while Ontario’s number dropped to 5.4 per cent.

According to the new numbers, St. Catharines-Niagara recorded the province’s highest unemployment rate last month at 6.9 per cent.