Ontario Loses 16,700 Jobs in June, Wiping Out Some Previous Gains

Ontario's job market experienced a setback in June, losing 16,700 positions and keeping the unemployment rate steady at 7 percent, above the national average. This decline follows a strong performance in April and May, which saw over 84,000 jobs created.

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Our province’s workforce is shrinking at an alarming rate. This Premier and his Conservative government are simply not creating opportunities for people.

Opposition parties seized on the figures to criticize the provincial government. Ontario NDP MPP Catherine Fife stated, "Our province’s workforce is shrinking at an alarming rate. This Premier and his Conservative government are simply not creating opportunities for people." She added that "hard-working people are struggling to put food on the table for their families, or to keep a roof over their heads."

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Hard-working people are struggling to put food on the table for their families, or to keep a roof over their heads. The good jobs they need are disappearing.

A spokesperson for the government pointed to external factors, including the trade war with the United States, as contributing to the difficult figures. "As President (Donald) Trump’s tariffs and tariff threats continue to disrupt supply chains and pose unprecedented challenges for workers and businesses on both sides of the border, our government is taking action to build a more resilient and self-reliant economy," the spokesperson said.

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As President (Donald) Trump’s tariffs and tariff threats continue to disrupt supply chains and pose unprecedented challenges for workers and businesses on both sides of the border, our government is taking action to build a more resilient and self-reliant economy.

These job losses echo concerns raised by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, which reported in early June that the province's workforce had declined at its sharpest rate since 1976, excluding the pandemic period. Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner urged the government to prioritize job creation through investments in renewable energy and a strong EV strategy, and to legalize density to facilitate housing construction.

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The Ford government could create jobs now by investing made-in-Ontario renewable energy, by creating a real EV strategy that will bring manufacturing jobs back to the province and by legalizing gentle density to build more homes now.