The unemployment rate in Eastern Ontario continues to be below the average for the province.
According to the Eastern Ontario Training Board (EOTB), the unemployment rate in Eastern Ontario as of May is 5.6 per cent and for Ontario, it is 6.1 per cent.
The number of people in Prescott-Russell, Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, and the City of Cornwall collecting Employment Insurance (EI) increased from February 2023 to February 2024. In February 2023, 2,490 men across the region were collecting EI. As of February 2024, 2,850 men were collecting EI. In February 2023, 600 women across the region were receiving EI benefits. As of February 2024, 710 women across the EOTB’s region were collecting EI.
Online job postings have decreased in Eastern Ontario since March. EOTB statistics indicate there were 453 postings across Eastern Ontario in April, a decrease of 54 from March.
The top five occupations in demand across Eastern Ontario in April were, from highest to lowest; home support workers and caregivers, transport truck drivers, retail and wholesale trade managers, food services supervisors, and material handlers.
