#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 Peterborough, Peterborough and District Labour Council, Literacy Ontario Central South, Peterborough Workers’ Action Centre, Trent Community Research Centre, United Way of Peterborough, Workforce 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

Day of Caring = a day to remember! 💙☀️

This past Friday, more than 40 incredible volunteers from workplaces across Peterborough and County came together to support 7 of our amazing partner agencies: Big Brothers Big Sisters, The John Howard Society of the Kawarthas, New Canadians Centre, PARN, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Elizabeth Fry Society, and YES Shelter.

What started as a cloudy morning turned into a beautiful sunny day, perfect for gardening, landscaping, lending a hand at a community block party, and making a real difference. In just a few short hours, these dedicated teams accomplished so much. Many hands truly do make light work! 🌱

We`re so grateful to each volunteer and to our valued sponsors who made this day possible:
💙 Friend Sponsors: Van de Bor Paving Ltd. and Kawartha Dairy
🥤 In-Kind Sponsor: The Market Lakefield for keeping our volunteers refreshed throughout the day
⭐ Presenting Sponsor: Miskin Law for their generous contribution of $5,000 toward building a stronger Peterborough

Thank you to everyone who made this year`s Day of Caring such a success. We can`t wait to see what we continue to accomplish together in 2026!

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Day of Caring = a day to remember! 💙☀️

This past Friday, more than 40 incredible volunteers from workplaces across Peterborough and County came together to support 7 of our amazing partner agencies: Big Brothers Big Sisters, The John Howard Society of the Kawarthas, New Canadians Centre, PARN, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Elizabeth Fry Society, and YES Shelter.

What started as a cloudy morning turned into a beautiful sunny day, perfect for gardening, landscaping, lending a hand at a community block party, and making a real difference. In just a few short hours, these dedicated teams accomplished so much. Many hands truly do make light work! 🌱

We're so grateful to each volunteer and to our valued sponsors who made this day possible:
💙 Friend Sponsors: Van de Bor Paving Ltd. and Kawartha Dairy
🥤 In-Kind Sponsor: The Market Lakefield for keeping our volunteers refreshed throughout the day
⭐ Presenting Sponsor: Miskin Law for their generous contribution of $5,000 toward building a stronger Peterborough

Thank you to everyone who made this year's Day of Caring such a success. We can't wait to see what we continue to accomplish together in 2026!

Our grand finale retirement prank: a boardroom full of Jim’s!

Thanks for the laughs, Jim.

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Our grand finale retirement prank: a boardroom full of Jim’s!

Thanks for the laughs, Jim.

The end of another school year is drawing near, and we’re feeling oh so grateful for all of the incredible educators in our community! 🙏🍎

We want to help you say “thank you” to an educator who’s made a difference in your life this year with a United Way “Good Apple Award”. Every certificate purchased directly supports United Way’s Backpacks for Success initiative, supplying students in Peterborough & County with the materials they need to be successful in the 2026/27 school year.

🔗 Visit the link in our bio to get your certificate today!

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The end of another school year is drawing near, and we’re feeling oh so grateful for all of the incredible educators in our community! 🙏🍎

We want to help you say “thank you” to an educator who’s made a difference in your life this year with a United Way “Good Apple Award”. Every certificate purchased directly supports United Way’s Backpacks for Success initiative, supplying students in Peterborough & County with the materials they need to be successful in the 2026/27 school year.

🔗 Visit the link in our bio to get your certificate today!

Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day.

We celebrate the diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

Let’s continue learning and reflecting together

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Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day.

We celebrate the diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

Let’s continue learning and reflecting together

Happy Father’s Day 💙

Your love and guidance help build stronger communities.

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Happy Father’s Day 💙

Your love and guidance help build stronger communities.

Today, United Way Peterborough & District is announcing an important leadership transition.

As Jim Russell prepares to retire after nearly 15 years as Chief Executive Officer, we extend our deepest gratitude for his leadership, dedication, and commitment to building a stronger community. Jim`s impact on this organization and the people we serve will be felt for years to come.

At the same time, we are pleased to welcome Jason Seguya as our next Chief Executive Officer, effective July 6, 2026. Jason brings experience leading mission-driven organizations and a strong commitment to collaboration, community engagement, and positive social impact.

As we look ahead to our 85th year of serving Peterborough & County, we are excited for the future and confident in the leadership that will guide us into this next chapter.

Please join us in thanking Jim for his years of service and welcoming Jason to the United Way movement.

Read more at the link in our bio.

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Today, United Way Peterborough & District is announcing an important leadership transition.

As Jim Russell prepares to retire after nearly 15 years as Chief Executive Officer, we extend our deepest gratitude for his leadership, dedication, and commitment to building a stronger community. Jim's impact on this organization and the people we serve will be felt for years to come.

At the same time, we are pleased to welcome Jason Seguya as our next Chief Executive Officer, effective July 6, 2026. Jason brings experience leading mission-driven organizations and a strong commitment to collaboration, community engagement, and positive social impact.

As we look ahead to our 85th year of serving Peterborough & County, we are excited for the future and confident in the leadership that will guide us into this next chapter.

Please join us in thanking Jim for his years of service and welcoming Jason to the United Way movement.

Read more at the link in our bio.

After nearly nine years with United Way Peterborough & District, we’re saying goodbye (but not really goodbye) to Rhonda Gilchrist as she begins an exciting new chapter as Executive Director of The Mount Community Centre. Rhonda has been a steady hand, a fierce advocate, a problem solver, and a champion for this community in every sense of the word.

For those of us lucky enough to work alongside her, we’ll miss her wisdom, her humour, the stories of her beloved pets, her unwavering dedication, and her ability to somehow make even the most challenging days feel manageable.

While we’re sad to see her go, we couldn’t be happier to see her step into a role that aligns so perfectly with her passion for building a stronger, more connected community.

Thank you, Rhonda, for everything you’ve given to United Way, to our team, and to Peterborough. We can’t wait to see all the incredible things you’ll accomplish next. Please join us in congratulating Rhonda!

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After nearly nine years with United Way Peterborough & District, we’re saying goodbye (but not really goodbye) to Rhonda Gilchrist as she begins an exciting new chapter as Executive Director of The Mount Community Centre. Rhonda has been a steady hand, a fierce advocate, a problem solver, and a champion for this community in every sense of the word.

For those of us lucky enough to work alongside her, we’ll miss her wisdom, her humour, the stories of her beloved pets, her unwavering dedication, and her ability to somehow make even the most challenging days feel manageable.

While we’re sad to see her go, we couldn’t be happier to see her step into a role that aligns so perfectly with her passion for building a stronger, more connected community.

Thank you, Rhonda, for everything you’ve given to United Way, to our team, and to Peterborough. We can’t wait to see all the incredible things you’ll accomplish next. Please join us in congratulating Rhonda!

This #ThankfulThursday, we`re sending a huge shoutout to all our Day of Caring sponsors! 📣✨

These incredible businesses are helping make #Peterborough and County a better place to live and we couldn`t be more grateful for their partnership.

➡️ Interested in being part of Day of Caring? Send us a message to dayofcaring@uwpeterborough.ca to learn how you can get involved!

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This #ThankfulThursday, we're sending a huge shoutout to all our Day of Caring sponsors! 📣✨

These incredible businesses are helping make #Peterborough and County a better place to live and we couldn't be more grateful for their partnership.

➡️ Interested in being part of Day of Caring? Send us a message to dayofcaring@uwpeterborough.ca to learn how you can get involved!

🍎 THEY’RE BACK! 🍎

A great educator can change the course of a life.

They stay after class. They cheer students on. They build confidence, spark curiosity, and help young people discover what they’re capable of.

This year, say “thank you” in a way that gives back.

Our Thank an Educator certificates are back and available now! When you make a $25 donation to United Way Peterborough & District’s Backpacks for Success program, we’ll send a personalized digital certificate (you get to choose from 4 options) for an educator of your choice, letting them know they’ve been honoured in recognition of the difference they’ve made in local students lives.

It’s a meaningful way to celebrate a teacher, EA, principal, ECE, coach, or mentor while helping local students head back to school with the supplies they need to succeed.

✨ Honour an educator
🎒 Support local students
❤️ Create a lasting impact

Because the people who help students succeed deserve to be celebrated.

Link in bio!

#ThankAnEducator #BackpacksForSuccess

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🍎 THEY’RE BACK! 🍎

A great educator can change the course of a life.

They stay after class. They cheer students on. They build confidence, spark curiosity, and help young people discover what they’re capable of.

This year, say “thank you” in a way that gives back.

Our Thank an Educator certificates are back and available now! When you make a $25 donation to United Way Peterborough & District’s Backpacks for Success program, we’ll send a personalized digital certificate (you get to choose from 4 options) for an educator of your choice, letting them know they’ve been honoured in recognition of the difference they’ve made in local students lives.

It’s a meaningful way to celebrate a teacher, EA, principal, ECE, coach, or mentor while helping local students head back to school with the supplies they need to succeed.

✨ Honour an educator
🎒 Support local students
❤️ Create a lasting impact

Because the people who help students succeed deserve to be celebrated.

Link in bio!

#ThankAnEducator #BackpacksForSuccess

[Part 3/3] If you`ve been following along, here are the remaining agencies supported through our Agency Capacity Fund! 🌟

➡️ From 2026–2029, 20 funded partners will receive a total of $75,000 over three years. This annual investment of $500,000 into local social service organizations provides flexible operational funding, improving stability within the non-profit sector.

The Agency Capacity Fund is the largest funding stream within our new impact model, supporting organizations that are making a difference across #Peterborough and county every day.

Stay up to date on United Way Peterborough & District`s work and upcoming funding opportunities by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

🤳 Visit uwpeterborough.ca/partner-agencies/ for the full list

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[Part 3/3] If you've been following along, here are the remaining agencies supported through our Agency Capacity Fund! 🌟

➡️ From 2026–2029, 20 funded partners will receive a total of $75,000 over three years. This annual investment of $500,000 into local social service organizations provides flexible operational funding, improving stability within the non-profit sector.

The Agency Capacity Fund is the largest funding stream within our new impact model, supporting organizations that are making a difference across #Peterborough and county every day.

Stay up to date on United Way Peterborough & District's work and upcoming funding opportunities by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

🤳 Visit uwpeterborough.ca/partner-agencies/ for the full list

[Part 2/3] 📣 United Way Peterborough & District is proud to support 20 agencies through our Agency Capacity Fund! Funded partners will receive a total of $75,000 over three years from 2026-2029. This annual investment of $500,000 into local social service organizations provides flexible operational funding, improving stability within the non-profit sector.

🔗 To see our full list of partner agencies, please visit: uwpeterborough.ca/partner-agencies/

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[Part 2/3] 📣 United Way Peterborough & District is proud to support 20 agencies through our Agency Capacity Fund! Funded partners will receive a total of $75,000 over three years from 2026-2029. This annual investment of $500,000 into local social service organizations provides flexible operational funding, improving stability within the non-profit sector.

🔗 To see our full list of partner agencies, please visit: uwpeterborough.ca/partner-agencies/

June is National Indigenous History Month.

We honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples: their histories, cultures, and ongoing leadership.

As a network, we have deepened our engagement by inviting network-wide individual and collective reflection, and we continue to reflect on our commitment to reconciliation.

#IndigenousHistoryMonth

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