The jobless rate climbed 1.1 per cent last month as Windsor shed 1,300 jobs.
Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for September said the local unemployment rate jumped to 8.6 per cent after August's 7.5 per cent result. Not only was Windsor's rate the highest in Ontario, but it was also higher than anywhere else in Canada.
The local labour participation rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 58.1 per cent, while the labour force grew 0.9 per cent to 179,500. There were 15,500 people collecting employment benefits.
Across Ontario, fewer people worked last month, but fewer people were looking for a job. The province shed 32,000 net positions, but the provincial jobless rate didn't change much, inching up only 0.1 percentage point to 5.8.
The national economy added 21,000 net positions. Adding that to fewer people on the hunt for employment, the unemployment rate was pushed down 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 per cent.
Gains in education services, healthcare, and social services were offset by losses in other sectors.
Wages continued to rise in September for the fourth consecutive month. Workers were paid 5.2 per cent more than they were a year ago, an average hourly gain of $1.57 to $31.67.
This month's report also looked into retirement. The national labour force shrunk over the summer as the population aged, and companies continued to cope with record-high vacancies. Almost one million Canadians aged 55 to 64 said they were retired.
