Barrie’s jobless rate rises slightly, remains below provincial average: Statistics Canada

The unemployment figure in Barrie rose slightly to start the new year, with the city recording a jobless rate of 5.1 per cent in January.

New numbers released by Statistics Canada show Barrie’s unemployment rate increased by 0.2 per cent, up from the 4.9 per cent recorded in December.

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Statistics Canada tracks the unemployment rate of metropolitan areas on a three-month moving average. The numbers are seasonally adjusted.

Despite the increase, Barrie’s unemployment rate still remains lower than both the provincial and national averages.

Canada’s unemployment rate was recorded at 5.8 per cent in January, and Ontario recorded a jobless rate of 5.7 per cent last month.

According to Statistics Canada, St. Catharines-Niagara recorded the province’s highest unemployment rate in January at 6.8 per cent. Guelph had the lowest jobless rate at just 1.9 per cent last month.