More people working and more people looking for work added up to a slight drop in the local jobless rate in July.
According to Stats Canada, the unemployment rate for the London Census Metropolitan Area -which includes St. Thomas, Strathroy-Caradoc, Middlesex Centre, Thames Centre, Central Elgin, Southwold, and Adelaide-Metcalfe - was 5.4% in July, down from 5.5% in June.
Another 700 people found jobs last month, while the size of the labour force grew by 600. The labour force includes people who are either working or looking for a job.
Ontario saw the biggest job growth among the provinces last month, with 61,000 new jobs created. That saw the Ontario unemployment rate fall to 5.4%, the lowest it has been in 18 years. However, the province's new jobs were mostly part-time.
Nationally, the jobless rate fell to a four year low of 5.8%. But much like in Ontario, it was the result of an increase in part-time work.
