The Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce says more and more businesses are saying they lack the skilled workers to compete.
Partnering with the Ontario Chamber, the WERCC says 77% of businesses say access to talent is the largest impact on their competitiveness.
It's the key finding of the 2nd Ontario Economic report issued by the provincial chamber.
The report found that's up from 60% last year.
Windsor chamber President Matt Marchand says they found 50% of the businesses surveyed lack confidence in the economy.
"We need a job investment, attraction strategy" explains Marchand, "You know its great to have a social agenda that's wonderful, but you have to have the means to drive investment, jobs and the economy to help pay for it"
Marchand says the decline in manufacturing jobs is hurting Ontario.
"If we had maintained our auto share investment in Ontario that we had 20 years ago, we'd probably have a substantial budget surplus." Marchand says "The fact is we don't and it's declining and we have to turn that around"
He says the report found 1 in 3 children in Windsor live in a low income household.
"The way to combat low income poverty is to bring in higher paying jobs here to Windsor Essex, point one. Point 2 skill people up and 3, have an investment strategy"
Marchand points to the idea that the low unemployment rate is a red herring.
He says the report finds the real issue is that 35% of Ontarians are not participating in the workforce.