Last year was a very tough year in terms of the employment numbers for Sault Ste. Marie especially when you compare it to what was a significantly good year in 2014.  Looking at two full years of monthly data provided by Stats Canada shows the contrast.  The average employment level for all of 2014 came in close to 40-thousand while in 2015 that figure came in at almost 33-thousand-500——a difference of over 63-hundred.  Economic Development Corporation CEO Tom Dodds pays close attention to those numbers and what is a key concern for him is the participation rate which combines the employment level with those unemployed but actively looking for work.  In the latter part of 2014, that figure averaged 63% which Dodds says was higher than the provincial average which he called quite extraordinary.  That significantly dropped off last year to an average of 54% and he talked about some of the factors…

Dodds added this message for those that might question whether the employment numbers are really that bad…

Looking back at the last 20-years of data, Dodds says the average 2014 employment level is higher than any other year other than 2008 just prior to the recession.