The local unemployment rate ticked up to close out 2025, according to the latest numbers from the Four County Labour Market Planning Board.
According to the board, unemployment in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region (which includes Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth counties) increased by 0.1 percentage points to four per cent.
The monthly recap showed employment in the region increased, due to gains in part-time employment. However, the region's overall labour force size increased by about 3,000 people.
According to the board, this increased the region’s participation rate by one per cent to 62.8 per cent, the highest for the 2025 calendar year.
"We continue to see positive signs for our region with the increase in participation rates of those employed or seeking employment and the decrease of those not in the labour force," said Dana Soucie, Executive Director for the Labour Market Planning Board in a release. "As the year wraps up, we will soon finalize our review of annual changes and trends to be released in the 2025 Local Labour Market Plan in February."
The region saw an increase in employment in agriculture, construction and utilities and a drop in manufacturing.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for Ontario decreased 0.2 percentage points in December to seven per cent.
