The London-St. Thomas area lost 300 jobs last month, leading to an increase in the local unemployment rate.
Statistics Canada says the jobless rate for the London-St. Thomas area was 6.2% in May, up from 5.7% in April. The federal agency says the labour force grew by 1,000 people and an additional 700 people began claiming unemployment benefits.
Nationally, the jobless rate went up slightly to 6.6%, despite the economy adding a net total of 54,000 jobs. The gain in jobs was offset by an increase in the number of people looking for work.
For the first time since last October, there was a significant increase in employment for young people. Employment among Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 grew by 28,000.
