Population growth contributing to high unemployment rate: Mayor

Population growth contributing to high unemployment rate: Mayor Population growth contributing to high unemployment rate: Mayor Photo by Postmedia / FILEArticle content An increase in the local unemployment rate to 9.9 per cent has been called “alarming” but the hike doesn’t tell the whole story, Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis says. Article content “To fully understand an increase in the unemployment rate, you have to dig a little deeper to figure out what’s driving it,” Davis said. “Back in the late 1980s, the unemployment rate was approaching 30 per cent and people were losing their jobs left, right and centre. Davis made the comments in response to October job numbers showing Brantford Brant, at 9.9 per cent, had the highest unemployment rate in Ontario. If the number of jobs isn’t increasing at the same pace as the population, it will contribute to a higher unemployment rate, Davis said.