Latest news with #WorkforceWindsorEssex
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuts and fewer job seekers driving Windsor unemployment decline, say experts
Windsor's jobless rate may have dropped by more than a full percentage point in a month, but a local labour market expert says the decline came for the wrong reasons. "We have a shrinking labour force and a lower participation rate that can slow economic growth for us and strain employers who are looking for workers," said Justin Falconer, CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex. Data from Statistics Canada released last week shows Windsor's unemployment rate fell to 10.2 per cent in July from 11.2 per cent in June, when the city had the highest jobless rate in Canada. Kelowna, B.C. now holds that title. Falconer says the region's labour force participation rate fell to 62.5 per cent, the lowest in 17 months. That means 3,000 fewer people were looking for work last month. He also noted the working age population, defined as anyone 15 years or older, has declined by 300 people for the first time since 2011. Falconer says reasons for people not seeking work range from pessimism about the labour market to the summer season, as well as the ongoing U.S. trade dispute affecting manufacturing, transportation and warehousing sectors. Education and healthcare hit hard Overall, Windsor-Essex lost 2,100 jobs in July. The steepest decline was in educational services, which saw 3,200 fewer positions in public and private teaching roles. Falconer says while summer breaks play a role, recent federal caps on international enrolment have prompted colleges and universities to reduce staff. Healthcare and social assistance also saw significant declines, with 1,400 jobs lost. The construction sector lost 900 jobs. Manufacturing was one of the few bright spots, adding 700 jobs despite U.S. trade disruptions. Public service jobs going unfilled Jennifer Van Zetten, the regional vice-president for OPSEU Windsor, confirms that public service positions are going unfilled, particularly in healthcare, education and social services. "These aren't the stable, well funded jobs they once were," she said. Van Zetten says recent provincial cuts have led to thousands of layoffs in Ontario's college system, including accessibility counselors and staff in programs such as dental, fine arts and journalism. OPSEU estimates nearly 10,000 faculty and staff positions have been cut or are expected to be lost by the end of this year, along with about 600 programs cancelled or suspended. Bright spot: male youth employment on the rise The drop in male youth unemployment was particularly significant for Windsor. Falconer says the rate fell from 21.9 per cent in June to 16.2 per cent in July, with an increase of 2,200 full time positions for young men. Female youth unemployment rose from 11.8 per cent to 14.5 per cent.
CBC
12-08-2025
- Business
- CBC
Cuts and fewer job seekers driving Windsor unemployment decline, say experts
Windsor's jobless rate may have dropped by more than a full percentage point in a month, but a local labour market expert says the decline came for the wrong reasons. "We have a shrinking labour force and a lower participation rate that can slow economic growth for us and strain employers who are looking for workers," said Justin Falconer, CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex. Data from Statistics Canada released last week shows Windsor's unemployment rate fell to 10.2 per cent in July from 11.2 per cent in June, when the city had the highest jobless rate in Canada. Kelowna, B.C. now holds that title. Falconer says the region's labour force participation rate fell to 62.5 per cent, the lowest in 17 months. That means 3,000 fewer people were looking for work last month. He also noted the working age population, defined as anyone 15 years or older, has declined by 300 people for the first time since 2011. Falconer says reasons for people not seeking work range from pessimism about the labour market to the summer season, as well as the ongoing U.S. trade dispute affecting manufacturing, transportation and warehousing sectors. Education and healthcare hit hard Overall, Windsor-Essex lost 2,100 jobs in July. The steepest decline was in educational services, which saw 3,200 fewer positions in public and private teaching roles. Falconer says while summer breaks play a role, recent federal caps on international enrolment have prompted colleges and universities to reduce staff. Healthcare and social assistance also saw significant declines, with 1,400 jobs lost. The construction sector lost 900 jobs. Manufacturing was one of the few bright spots, adding 700 jobs despite U.S. trade disruptions. Public service jobs going unfilled Jennifer Van Zetten, the regional vice-president for OPSEU Windsor, confirms that public service positions are going unfilled, particularly in healthcare, education and social services. "These aren't the stable, well funded jobs they once were," she said. Van Zetten says recent provincial cuts have led to thousands of layoffs in Ontario's college system, including accessibility counselors and staff in programs such as dental, fine arts and journalism. OPSEU estimates nearly 10,000 faculty and staff positions have been cut or are expected to be lost by the end of this year, along with about 600 programs cancelled or suspended. The drop in male youth unemployment was particularly significant for Windsor. Falconer says the rate fell from 21.9 per cent in June to 16.2 per cent in July, with an increase of 2,200 full time positions for young men.
CBC
06-08-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
'I've got to be the job': Tecumseh teen launches car wash after applying for 100 jobs and getting none
A Tecumseh teenager who was unable to find a summer job despite applying for more than 100 of them has gone viral on social media for starting a car wash in front of his family home. Batista Cervini started the car wash four days ago, he said, and has washed around four or five cars a day at $20 per car for a half-hour wash. "Nobody wanted to hire me," the 16-year-old said. "So if there's no jobs, I've got to be the job, you know?" Windsor regained its position as the city with the highest unemployment rate in Canada in June as unemployment rose to 11.2 per cent. It also had the highest youth unemployment among census metropolitan areas in Canada in 2024, at around 20 per cent. What's more, the overall unemployment rate rose last month despite stagnant population growth, a reversal of a trend seen over the past two years in which rising unemployment has been blamed on population growth outpacing job growth. Not a single interview Now there's a near-record-high number of people looking for work, according to Workforce WindsorEssex. Cervini applied to dozens of entry-level jobs, including jobs at restaurants, hoping to earn money for college so he can study to become a paramedic, he said. But he didn't get a single interview. "It's pretty disappointing, honestly, because people say they're hiring, but I don't see it," he said. But, he said, he doesn't believe in giving up in hard times. "God is making something big coming," he said. "When you want to give up, that's when you keep on going." Cervini stands in front of his family home on Lesperance Road from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. holding a sign advertising his business. People tell him they respect his hustle, he said. Asked what kind of pitch he'd give to employers thinking of hiring him, he said, "I'm a hard-working young man. I do not give up, and I believe I would be a really good candidate. I always try my best – 100 per cent effort or nothing." Potential employers reaching out Already potential employers have posted messages on social media offering interviews. And one showed up to court Cervini personally. The owner of Piskey's Mobile Auto Wash and Detailing said he decided to spend a day helping Cervini wash cars after his clients kept forwarding him social media posts about him. "If he wants now, he can come with me for the rest of the summer … and we can just go wash cars house to house," Luke Piskovic said. "He's already got work ethic. He's standing out here with a sign. I'd rather hire on that than schooling." Piskovic called himself an advocate for entrepreneurship and said washing cars, picking weeds or doing other tasks people need done is a better way to earn money than working at a fast food job. One of Cervini's customers said she admired his initiative and wanted to support him and show kids they can achieve anything if they work hard.
CBC
31-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Windsor's unemployment is the highest in Canada, and youth aren't immune. Here's how a new plan hopes to change that
Windsor has the highest unemployment rates in Canada. On Wednesday, Workforce Windsor-Essex launched a new Youth Employment Work plan to tackle the city's chronic unemployment numbers amongst young people. The CBC's Jason Viau reports.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How a new plan hopes to tackle Windsor's youth unemployment problem
Workforce WindsorEssex has launched its Youth Employment Work Plan in a bid to tackle unemployment among young people. The work plan touches on local trends in youth unemployment data, with analysis on gender, race and education. The plan "calls attention to the barriers young people face and provides practical, community-driven solutions to improve access to employment," CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex Justin Falconer said in a press release. I feel like the biggest barriers young people face is the lack of confidence. - Daniella Adekyoa The work plan will implement a number of resources, including a youth employment portal, a device donation program, a youth-friendly advertising guidebook and an accessible skills assessment tool. These are supported by a $189,000 grant from the provincial government's Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). At a launch event, Mikal Fakhreddin, the project coordinator and research analyst for WorkForce WindsorEssex, says that young people seeking work are often subject to societal baggage. "Generally we've found that there's a misconception when it comes to youth," Fakhreddin said. "They're generally treated as lazy workers and [lacking] in soft skills." One of the resources that the Youth Employment Work Plan has emphasized is the youth employment portal, which Fakhreddin says will help to demystify job applications for young people. "It's a one-stop-shop for youth-focused employment resources," she said. "We really want one location where youth can find all the resources they're looking for when it comes to employment ... Our goal is to ease the exploration process." Gender gap Recently, Windsor regained its position as the city with the highest unemployment rate in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, Windsor's unemployment rate at a seasonally adjusted three-month moving average of 11.2 per cent – and that data revealed that joblessness in Windsor disproportionately impacts men. When it comes to unemployed youth, Workforce WindsorEssex's Work Plan points out that the gap between male and female unemployment is also stark. According to their data, in 2024 male unemployment reached 22.1 per cent compared to the female rate of 14 per cent. Fakhreddin says, although they are not entirely sure, this could be a trend among entry-level employment. "We're not too sure, but we've found that youth-centred jobs usually hire more women," she said. "We've also found that men historically have more experience with substance abuse, mental health problems [and] housing." Hoping for success Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh says the labour market has changed in the last few decades. "We've had so much more automation, so many fewer opportunities to do more routine types of roles," he says. "Having those youth employment opportunities helps you as a young person in building your confidence." Daniella Adekyoa was a part of the youth advisory committee that helped to shape the work plan and she will attend the University of Windsor in the fall. She says that as a young person confidence plays a huge role in gaining employment as a young person. "I've seen first hand [how] challenging it can be for young people to not only find jobs, but opportunities that align with their passions, [can] help them grow and actually support their future," she said. "I feel like the biggest barriers young people face is the lack of confidence."
