The Chatham-Kent Workplace and Planning Board is helping municipal officials better understand the local labour market.
This past year was a tough one for the municipality employment-wise. According to a report presented to council Monday night, the average monthly employment in Chatham-Kent dropped by 2,800 in 2023 (a decline of 5 percent). This helped push up the unemployment rate to 6.8 percent after its record low of 4.3 percent in 2022.
If there is a silver lining, the municipality has experienced strong population growth over the past few years and the report said it is expected Chatham-Kent will have 17,600 jobs to fill by 2031 due to replacement and growth demand.
Growth is expected to create 3,800 jobs in the next seven years. Manufacturing and health care will be the top drivers of new employment through 2031 along with retail trade, transportation, and agriculture.