January 8th, 2016

Liberal government fails to act as Windsor families suffer Canada's highest unemployment rate: NDP

Taras Natyshak, Ontario NDP Economic Development and Employment Critic and the MPP for Essex, said the Liberal government failed Windsor families in 2015, as Statistics Canada job numbers released today show Windsor had the highest unemployment rate among Canadian cities throughout the year. In fact, the city posted the highest rate in 11 of the 12 months of 2015.

“While families and young people in our community face the highest unemployment rate in the country, the Wynne Liberals want to make life harder by increasing their bills,” Natyshak said. “Instead of a jobs plan to help families and create jobs, the Premier is privatizing Hydro One, which is going to make electricity rates sky-rocket. That’s only going to hurt businesses and families.”

Statistics Canada job numbers for December 2015 show Windsor’s unemployment rate of 9.7 per cent is the highest of any city in Canada, while youth unemployment rose to a record high of 25 per cent for the second time this year.

 

“The Liberal record for 2015 in Windsor is a record of disastrous failure,” Natyshak said.  “Instead of listening to families and youth who need jobs, and to families and businesses who can’t afford more increases to their hydro rates, the Liberals failed to create a jobs plan and plowed ahead in selling off Hydro One.”

Last summer, the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce said that rising energy costs are making businesses less competitive and is a top concern for local companies. 

Natyshak, along with Percy Hatfield (MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh) and Lisa Gretzky (MPP for Windsor West), have repeatedly called on the Liberals to create a comprehensive automotive and manufacturing strategy and have noted that affordable hydro rates are important to the sector.