London jobless rate rises slightly, matching trend across Ontario

The London area’s unemployment rate rose slightly in September, ending a two-month stretch of improving figures.

Statistics Canada reported on Friday the jobless rate in the London area – which also includes St. Thomas, Strathroy and parts of Middlesex and Elgin counties – rose to 6.2 per cent in September. That follows 6.1 per cent in August, 6.5 per cent in July and 7.2 per cent in June.

The largely unmoved unemployment numbers match the trend nationally last month. Canada’s jobless rate remained at seven per cent in September, while Ontario’s rose to 7.9 per cent from August’s 7.7 per cent.

Although September’s 6.2 per cent jobless rate for the London region marks a small increase in the wrong direction, it’s better than other similar-sized cities in Southwestern Ontario, according t