#UNIGNORABLE Issue: Unemployment

Unemployment is an #UNIGNORABLE issue in your community, and COVID-19 is making it is even harder for local businesses stay open, let alone hire.

The City of Peterborough’s unemployment numbers increased in October 2020, maintaining one of the highest rates among Canadian cities.

According to Statistics Canada data released on Friday, Peterborough’s unemployment rate for October was 11.7 per cent — up from 11.2 per cent reported in September. That places the city second behind Edmonton at 12.0 per cent.

Statistics show the top three growing occupations in Peterborough, 2016 – 2021
1. Customer and information services representatives
2. Food counter attendants and kitchen helpers
3. Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

Through our extensive research, a living wage in Peterborough is $17.63. That’s based on a family of 2 parents & 2 children with both parents working full time.

Please click to the photo to your right to read more from the Living Wage Report and please be an advocate for employment opportunities in your community to help make this #UNIGNORABLE. This report has details on how you can become a Living Wage Employer.

We fund a number of agencies that help with unemployment in Peterborough. Click here to see the full list of partner agencies we fund. We work hard to raise funds for these agencies, so they can focus on closing the gap on the unemployment rates here in Peterborough.

Below is a powerful video that shines a light on unemployment.

Thank you to Chex News on Global Peterborough for their generous in-kind partnership with this video.


About the PERI Group

The Precarious Employment Research Initiative (PERI) is a collaborative project among many community partners interested in better understanding the employment and working conditions of workers in our community.

This project was initiated by Peterborough Public Health and expanded to include City of PeterboroughPeterborough and District Labour CouncilLiteracy Ontario Central SouthPeterborough Workers’ Action CentreTrent Community Research CentreUnited Way of PeterboroughWorkforce Development Board and Trent University psychology professor and researcher, Dr. Fergal O’Hagan with support from the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario(PEPSO) research project. To learn more about Decent Work Peterborough, click here.

The PERI Reports

Social Posts

🧥🧣🧤Our annual Coats for Community drive is underway!🧤🧣🧥
Did anyone else see snow fall in Peterborough this afternoon? We’re collecting gently used coats, blankets, gloves and other warm winter gear in collaboration with @path_ptbo to help keep our neighbours warm heading into this winter season. 
If you have been meaning to donate, tomorrow’s a perfect day to drop by @path_ptbo 
📍385 Lansdowne Street Easy 
🗓️Saturdays 9AM-3PM | Wednesdays 10AM-3PM
Questions? ☎️ (705)-775-7284. 
Every donation counts❤️
The United Way Ultimate Burger Battle starts THIS SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1st 🍔🔥!
At our press conference this morning, we asked some of our Burger Ambassadors to dream up their Ultimate Burges in preparation for this month! You can taste along with them at our 8 participating restaurants across Peterborough and the County all November long. 
Every BITE gives BACK - $2 from every burger sold support our work building community and changing lives❤️!
🧣Do you have gently used winter gear? Help our community stay warm this season by donating to Coats for Community. @unitedwayptbo and @path_ptbo are proud to partner once again to help our neighbours face the winter months with dignity and warmth.🧣
📍Drop off at PATH: 385 Lansdowne St. E
🗓️Every Wednesday (9AM-3PM) and Saturday (10AM-3PM) until May 2026.
Still reminiscing on Campaign Launch 2025🥹! Learn more about contributing to your 2025-2026 Community Campaign at the link in our bio.
Our office will be closed on Monday, October 13 and will reopen on Tuesday, October 14. Have a safe and restful long weekend.
Sneak peak at the cutest new holographic stickers for the Campaign trail! Designed in house by our team and manufactured locally by @renegadeapparel 
Perks of running a workplace campaign? Supporting our amazing community AND receiving stylish stickers 😎. 
Reach out for more information and to learn how to get involved with this year’s Community Campaign and help us reach our goal of $1.6 million!
🍦Two scoops are better than one, and so is your impact this year thanks to our matching program!
Your donation can go twice as far this year thanks to our Double Your Difference match challenge! 
✨ New donors: your gift will be matched 100%
✨ Returning donors: increase your gift by 10% or more and the extra will be matched, too! 
Together, we can double the difference for our community and help reach our 2025-26 Community Campaign goal of $1.6 million! ❤️
📲Click the link in our bio to explore the different ways you can give. 
#BuildingCommunity #DoubleYourDifference #UnitedWayPTBO
No tricks here - just treats! 
Run (don’t walk) to grab your tickets for our FIRST EVER monthly 50/50 draw, province wide! 
🎟️Tickets can be found at the link in our bio🎟️
First draw happens on Halloween, Friday October 31! 
Win big. Give back. Change lives.
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