The latest labour market report from Workforce WindsorEssex adds to the gloomy picture being painted by the figures for the region’s economy so far this year, even as the unemployment rate holds relatively steady.
On Friday, new jobs data show Canada’s and Ontario’s unemployment rates improved 0.3 points to 6.6 per cent and 0.5 points to 7 per cent respectively, while the Windsor Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) worsened by 0.1 points to 8.2 per cent.
Since December 2025, the Windsor CMA has lost 14,300 jobs including 2,100 positions last month.
The May report continues to bear out the yearlong trend that sees both the labour force and the number of people employed shrink, even as the region has seen population growth every month of 2026.
The population in the Windsor CMA grew by 500 from the previous month to 408,800, while the labour force and employment figures fell by 2,200 and 2,100 to 253,100 and 232,400 respectively.
Justin Falconer, the CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex, says the May report shows the manufacturing sector is up by 1,400 positions from the same time last year, despite a dip of 500 persons employed in manufacturing from month-to-month.
“Overall, total goods producing employment is up about 100 positions or 200 positions month over month. Whereas the big change I think is happening in the service sector right now overall. From May 2026 to May 2025, we’ve lost 6,900 persons working in the services producing sector.”
He says the region is living through a mixed labour market with no clear direction for growth as the region, and province, suffer through a shifting American tariff regime and continuing trade uncertainty.
“The labour market is not in an expansion. It’s definitely in sort of this replacement hiring mode where as vacancies come up, employers are determining whether or not they’re really filling or replacing persons and they’re making a decision about sort of is this a need or is this a want? And they’re having to make tough decisions like that.”
Falconer says youth unemployment was at 20.9 per cent in May - 3.1 percentage points worse than it was the same time last year.
“That 20 per cent is quite concerning. I’m hopeful that summer hiring is going to pick up. The general unemployment rate being down, I think, means that there’s a lot less adults or experienced workers competing for some of the jobs that maybe inexperienced or youth workers will be pursuing this summer.”
From April to May of this year, the public sector saw modest growth with 700 positions added while the private sector shed another 2,600 positions.
The self-employed category has grown by 2,200 persons from April to May, to 25,800 persons in the community.