Hundreds attend local career fair as Windsor's unemployment rate climbs

Dana Lumsden has been trying to find a job in IT support for about six months.

Lumsden was among hundreds of people who attended a career fair hosted by Invest WindsorEssex at the WFCU Centre on Wednesday.

The career fair comes as Statistics Canada on Friday released numbers for August showing that Windsor's unemployment rate is once again the highest in Canada at 9.2 per cent. The agency said the rate has jumped 3.2 percentage points year over year, from six per cent in August 2023. 

On that same day Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said he's "not too fussed about it," when asked about the length of time Windsor has had the highest unemployment rate, adding that "this is a blip in time" that will change relatively soon with new construction and infrastructure projects.

Lumsden said the mayor's description of the situation doesn't match his search for a job, but he said he's keeping hope alive.

"I'm always hopeful. Like anything it's persistence and perseverance," Lumsden told CBC News. 

"If you're really intent on doing something, you're going to get it eventually, the odds are just in your favour… I think that just being persistent and having a clear idea of what you want to do [will go a long way]."

Alex Biru says he's just starting his job search after recently graduating from the University of Windsor.

"I have some IT work experience and I'm really just looking here to try and get a full-time job and get a full hold on my career and really try to take it somewhere," Biru said.

He was surprised at the number of people at the career fair.

"There's a lot of workers here and I don't know if there is enough jobs, but it certainly doesn't seem like it," Biru said.

'We can find you a job pretty darn quick': mayor

The mayor maintains that there are jobs available.

"Everywhere I go, people are looking for people who want to work, so it's a matter of finding those people and matching those folks up," he said.

"So if you have skills and you actually want to work, we have a full team of people who are looking to match employers with people who want to work. We can find you a job pretty darn quick," he said.

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Approximately 19,500 people are currently unemployed within the Windsor census metropolitan area. 

Canada-wide, the unemployment rate climbed by just 0.2 percentage points in August to 6.6 per cent.

More than 35 employers participated in career fair

Invest WindsorEssex said more than 35 top regional employers across all industry sectors including NextStar Energy, Nature Fresh Farms, Seasons Retirement Communities and AAR Aircraft Services Windsor participated in the career fair. 

Joe Goncalves, interim CEO of Invest WindsorEssex said the job fair is an example of their commitment to fostering local talent. 

"As Windsor-Essex continues to thrive with new investments and expanding industries, events like these are crucial in matching the right talent with emerging opportunities and ensuring our workforce is ready to meet the demands of the future," Goncalves said.   

Tanya Antoniw, the city's executive director, employment and social services, said the fair is a testament to the power of collaboration in building a dynamic and inclusive workforce.