London-St. Thomas jobless rate fell to 4.8% in April, lowest since April 2019

The unemployment rate in London, Ont., and St. Thomas fell to 4.8 per cent in April, down from 5.3 per cent in March, marking the region’s lowest jobless rate since April 2019.

The latest jobs numbers from Statistics Canada continue a downward trend for London-St. Thomas, after the region started 2022 with its unemployment rate at 6.3 per cent.

Statistics Canada reports 2,300 jobs were created in April, while London-St. Thomas’ labour rose by 500 and the number of people on unemployment declined by 1,700.

The participation rate, which measures the proportion of the working-age population that is working or looking for work, ticked slightly higher in April, bucking a downward trend from January.

April’s participation rate was 65.4 per cent, up from 65.3 per cent in March.

Nationally, Canada’s unemployment rate fell to 5.2 per cent in April, down from 5.3 per cent in March, while the national economy added 1,000 jobs.