Highest Unemployment in Ontario

Top 100 cities ranked by highest unemployment

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All Countries · Canada · Ontario

Highest Unemployment — Ontario

1 Niagara Falls 22.6%

2 Windsor 18.8%

3 Elliot Lake 16.5%

4 St. Catharines 15.8%

5 Algoma, Unorganized, North Part 15.5%

6 Parry Sound 15.3%

7 Thorold 15.3%

8 Fort Erie 15.3%

9 Oshawa 15.2%

10 Orillia 15.1%

11 Welland 15.0%

12 Niagara-on-the-Lake 15.0%

13 Peterborough 14.7%

14 Brockville 14.5%

15 Ingersoll 14.2%

16 Ramara 14.1%

17 Mississauga 14.0%

18 Toronto 13.9%

19 Wasaga Beach 13.9%

20 Markham 13.8%

21 Havelock-Belmont-Methuen 13.6%

22 Ajax 13.4%

23 Tecumseh 13.4%

24 Brampton 13.3%

25 London 13.3%

26 LaSalle 13.3%

27 Kingston 13.2%

28 Lakeshore Village 13.2%

29 Richmond Hill 13.1%

30 Sault Ste. Marie 13.0%

31 Pickering 12.9%

32 Perth 12.9%

33 Collingwood 12.8%

34 Midland 12.8%

35 Port Colborne 12.7%

36 Vaughan 12.5%

37 Barrie 12.5%

38 Essex 12.5%

39 Brantford 12.4%

40 Cobourg 12.4%

41 Cornwall 12.4%

42 Pembroke 12.4%

43 Whitby 12.3%

44 Newmarket 12.3%

45 Hamilton 12.3%

46 Woodstock 12.1%

47 Amherstburg 12.0%

48 Waterloo 12.0%

49 North Bay 12.0%

50 Gananoque 12.0%

51 Huntsville 12.0%

52 Belleville 11.9%

53 Aurora 11.8%

54 Innisfil 11.8%

55 Oakville 11.7%

56 Tillsonburg 11.6%

57 Cambridge 11.5%

58 Alnwick/Haldimand 11.5%

59 Hawkesbury 11.5%

60 Tiny 11.5%

61 Penetanguishene 11.5%

62 East Gwillimbury 11.5%

63 Milton 11.4%

64 Leeds and the Thousand Islands 11.4%

65 Bradford West Gwillimbury 11.4%

66 Minden Hills 11.3%

67 Thunder Bay 11.2%

68 Kawartha Lakes 11.2%

69 Caledon 11.2%

70 St. Thomas 11.2%

71 Owen Sound 11.1%

72 Georgina 11.1%

73 Port Hope 11.1%

74 Kitchener 11.0%

75 Clarington 11.0%

76 Tay 11.0%

77 Tay Valley 11.0%

78 King City 11.0%

79 Quinte West 10.9%

80 Oro-Medonte 10.9%

81 The Blue Mountains 10.9%

82 Guelph 10.8%

83 Stratford 10.8%

84 Orangeville 10.8%

85 Burlington 10.7%

86 Essa 10.7%

87 Chatham-Kent 10.7%

88 Cochrane 10.7%

89 Kirkland Lake 10.7%

90 Bayham 10.6%

91 Gravenhurst 10.6%

92 Whitchurch-Stouffville 10.5%

93 Selwyn 10.5%

94 Renfrew 10.5%

95 Severn 10.5%

96 Greater Sudbury 10.4%

97 Ottawa 10.3%

98 Tweed 10.3%

99 Grimsby 10.3%

100 Trent Hills 10.2%

Cities with the highest unemployment rates in Ontario face significant economic challenges. Niagara Falls has an unemployment rate of 22.6%. These communities often struggle with limited job opportunities, industry decline, or seasonal employment patterns.

High unemployment can have cascading effects on a community, including reduced consumer spending, lower tax revenues, and increased demand for social services. Understanding the causes — whether structural, cyclical, or seasonal — is important for developing effective solutions.

Many cities with high unemployment are actively working to diversify their economies, attract new industries, and invest in workforce development programs to help residents gain skills for in-demand occupations.

Did You Know?

1. In Niagara Falls, about 1 in 4 workers is looking for a job.
2. Seasonal economies (tourism, agriculture) can cause unemployment rates to fluctuate dramatically throughout the year.
3. Many high-unemployment cities have seen improvement through targeted economic development and workforce training programs.

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