London-St. Thomas jobless rate rises to 5.4% in February, third straight increase

The London-St. Thomas jobless rate rose in February for the third straight month.

Stats Canada says the unemployment rate rose to 5.4 per cent last month, up from 5.2 per cent the month before.

London lost 600 jobs in February while the same number of people began claiming unemployment. There was no change to the size of the city’s labour force.

London’s labour participation rate continues to lag behind the rest of the country. London has the lowest participation rate in the province and one of the lowest for all of Canada.

Nationally, the jobless rate stayed at 5.8 per cent as 55,900 jobs were added to the economy.

Statistics Canada says the increase was driven by gains in full-time work.

Ontario was the only province with a notable gain in employment. There was little changed in most provinces, aside from Manitoba, which saw a decrease.

Employment in Ontario rose for the second consecutive month, up 37,000 in February, boosted by gains in full-time work. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.7 per cent as more people participated in the labour market.