zimmytws / Depositphotos.com
Hiring continues to trend upward across the Grand Erie region, with the local unemployment rate falling for the third straight month.
According to the latest seasonally adjusted estimates from Statistics Canada, about 1,400 people found work in Brantford-Brant in March. That helped push the unemployment rate down by 1.6 percentage points to 6.3 per cent.
Meanwhile, the jobless rate remained steady at 7.6 per cent in Ontario and 6.7 per cent nationally.
In Norfolk County, more people entered the labour market, leading to a seasonal increase. Other nearby regions saw mixed results, with slight declines in St. Catharines-Niagara and little change in Hamilton and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo.
Job growth locally was strongest in sales and service, along with trades and transportation roles. Key sectors included accommodation and food services, retail and wholesale trade, and finance, insurance, and real estate.
The Grand Erie Jobs board saw more than 2,000 new postings in March, up 16 per cent from February, with employers reporting quicker hiring times.
