Workforce Windsor-Essex's latest labour market report shows the region entered the region with record levels of employment.
That comes from sustained population growth and workforce growth.
"We should have a lot of optimism. We should also be really proud of some of our employment numbers. We are at record levels of employment ending in December 2025," said Chief Executive Officer Justin Falconer. "We have near high participation in the labour market so there are about 140,000 people not participating in the labour market, but that's a near low in terms of not participating. It means that employers can access talent and knowledge and skills at greater rates and have a little bit more selection."
Since 2020, the region has gained over 36,000 working-age people (15-54 year olds). The report shows these people bring opportunities, like more skills, to the region, but also challenges.
"We're seeing higher proportions of resettled refugees and sponsored family immigrants coming into the region as opposed to necessarily economic immigration," said Kelsey Santarossa, Director of Community and Workforce Development. "That poses additional challenges when we're thinking about what bridging programs, training programs do we need to make available through our service provider networks to make sure we can integrate these folks well into the workforce ."
She said another way to do that is to find easier pathways to acknowledge foreign credentials.
The report identifies seven areas where the community needs to take action to support the labour market in the next four years. They include better integration of newcomer skills and creating supports that foster retention and certification completion in the skilled trades.
Falconer notes one of the most interesting trends in the report is the growth of youth looking to enter the labour market.
"We have 20 per cent more youth since 2019 in 2025 participating in the labour market, which means they are either looking for work or working and that obviously brings money into our community," said Falconer.
The full report, along with its actual plan, can be found here.
