Windsor's unemployment rate rises in May, keeping top spot among Canadian cities

May brought another big increase in Windsor's unemployment rate.

According to Statistics Canada data reported Friday, the local unemployment rate jumped from 12.9 per cent in April to 16.7 in May — three per cent higher than Canada's overall average. 

That's the highest rate among major Canadian cities — a spot Windsor has taken each month this year. 

Canada's economy added 290,000 jobs in May, after losing more than three million jobs in March and April. 

The surge means May was the best one-month gain for jobs in Canada in 45 years, although it happened from an admittedly low bar. It also means the labour market has bounced back by about 10 per cent of the hit it took from COVID-19.

Despite the job gains, Canada's official unemployment rate rose to 13.7 per cent, as 491,000 more people were looking for work in the job market, notably students, whose search for summer work isn't normally recorded in the months before May.

In February, Canada's jobless rate was 5.6 per cent. It increased to 7.8 per cent in March and 13 per cent in April. The number of unemployed Canadians has more than doubled since February.

The vast majority of the new jobs came in Quebec, which added 230,900. Every other province added jobs,  except Ontario which lost 64,500 positions.

Justin Falconer, CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex, said 16.7 per cent is the highest unemployment rate Windsor-Essex has ever had on record in 20 years, adding the hardest hit industries include food and beverage, tourism, hospitality, recreation, culture and manufacturing.

"It will take time to come out of this, even though some of the recovery could be happening now," he said.

"We're starting to see some uptick on our job board ... we are starting to see more employers looking to recruit and hire people and I hope that number continues to grow."

The Windsor-Essex COVID-19 Economic Task Force, which consists of members working in the business, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and economic development industries, has outlined several steps it is taking to restart the local economy.

Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island, said 30 per cent of tourism comes from the U.S., but added they're embarking on a plan to draw in more tourists from the Canadian side of the border.

"We're not looking at Detroit, Michigan or Ohio, as being our next phase at all, we're looking at it being Windsor-Essex residents, we're then looking into Southwestern Ontario, and then we're going to go to the GTA and then, at the appropriate time, we'll go into the U.S," Orr said, adding that marketing will not be done until the industry is open again.

Falconer said the 'large' greenhouse industry remains hiring, with roughly 100 positions currently listed on its job board.

He also said while the unemployment rate in Windsor-Essex may be rising, it's not "dramatically increasing or outpacing the increases we're seeing elsewhere."

Falconer expects to see an improvement in numbers next month, but has no immediate predictions.