Barrie pushes future job growth as unemployment rate rises

Unemployment may be high now, but city leaders are hoping future job growth will bring that number down.

Barrie was tied for the highest unemployment rate among major Canadian cities in April, according to new labour force data released by Statistics Canada.

The city’s unemployment rate climbed to 9.2 per cent in April, up from 8.5 per cent in March. Barrie recorded an estimated 13,200 unemployed residents, while overall employment dipped slightly.

Across Canada, the unemployment rate rose to 6.9 per cent in April, as more people searched for work.

Despite the latest numbers, Mayor Alex Nuttall expressed optimism, saying the city is positioning itself for long-term employment growth through new industrial and employment lands.

“We’ve been clear from day one that Barrie needs jobs. For too long, too many residents have been stuck on the highway commuting to work,” he said.

On Jan. 1, 2026, Barrie officially annexed 1,216 hectares from Springwater Township and 457 hectares from Oro-Medonte Township, for a total of 1,673 hectares.

In December 2025, the provincial government passed Bill 76, the Barrie–Oro-Medonte– Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act, 2025.

The city intends for the new lands to help accommodate as many as 8,000 new homes while also unlocking new infrastructure and employment lands.

“Through Bill 76, the city has new employment lands that will be transformational for Barrie’s future, and I want to thank Premier Doug Ford and the provincial government for recognizing the importance of creating jobs in growing communities like ours,” Nuttall said.

Nuttall added that he expects the lands to make the city more attractive to business in the coming years.

“These lands will help attract major employers, industrial investment, and thousands of new jobs to Barrie,” he said.

“Council has pushed hard to ensure we are ready to compete for investment, because when companies are looking to expand, we want them choosing Barrie. This is about creating opportunity – better jobs, shorter commutes and a stronger local economy where residents can live and work right here in the City of Barrie.”

Other Ontario cities posting high unemployment rates included London, Windsor, Oshawa and Toronto.