Part-time work growth dwarfs full-time job creation in Ontario
QUEEN’S PARK – According to this month’s Labour Force Survey, of the 28,800 jobs created in Ontario in January, 23,500 were part-time. This continues the disturbing trend, identified in the 2016 year end jobs figures released last month, which shows dramatic increase in part-time, precarious work in this province – numbers the NDP says show that while the cost of living in Ontario is rising fast, families’ incomes aren’t.
The new employment numbers released by Statistics Canada Friday show the unemployment rate in Ontario is stagnant at 6.4, while the Canadian unemployment rate decreased only slightly.
“The alarmingly poor ratio of part-time jobs to full-time jobs being created in Ontario is really telling a story that too many Ontarians already know,” said NDP Employment critic Catherine Fife. “You can’t put food on the table and pay the hydro bill on part-time work. We need more jobs you can raise a family on.”
January 2017 was also a bad month for young people in Ontario. Youth unemployment has risen dramatically in the space of just one month, up 1.5% from December and up 2.1% over this month last year.
“Young people need an economic development partner in the provincial government. They need a partner ready to fight for paid internships, training opportunities and better work opportunities that can lead to good, stable jobs,” continued Fife. “Bill 39, the NDP’s plan to massively increase work-integrated learning opportunities is a great first step in addressing youth unemployment, and we’ll continue to push for that when MPPs return to Queen’s Park next week.”
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Rebecca Elming, 2/10/2017 |
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