Jobless Rate In Barrie Up Slightly In February

Still better than national/provincial averages

Employment in Barrie last month rose by 1800 says Mayor Jeff Lehman, but he adds the number of people looking for work was also higher. That translates to a jobless rate of 6.7 per cent. Still, Lehman notes the rate in Barrie is still well below the provincial and national averages ) the federal rate rose last month to 7.3 per cent). Lehman also points out, “We also have one of the highest participation rates in Canada, that’s the percentage of the population that is in the workforce. That is a measure of economic strength and shows we continue to be one of Canada’s hardest working cities.”