FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 10, 2026
TORONTO, ON — Today, Stephanie Bowman, MPP for Don Valley West and Ontario Liberal Critic for
Finance and Trade, issued the following statement regarding Ontario’s June Labour Force Survey:
Today’s jobs report is a reality check for Doug Ford’s economic fairy tale.
While Canada’s economy added 18,000 jobs in June and the national unemployment rate declined to
6.5 per cent, Ontario lost 16,700 jobs and unemployment remained stuck at 7 per cent. At a time when
the national labour market is showing some signs of renewed momentum, Ontario is moving in the
opposite direction.
The headline unemployment rate also masks deeper weakness. Ontario’s unemployment rate held
steady not because more people found work, but because thousands of Ontarians stopped looking for
jobs altogether. Long-term unemployment remains among the highest in Canada, while manufacturing
and construction continue to shed workers and young people are facing one of the weakest labour
markets in decades.
These are not isolated indicators. They reflect the consequences of Doug Ford’s failed economic
leadership. There were fewer full-time jobs in June, and private sector job creation has been weak since
the beginning of the year. Ontario is struggling to create jobs, retain workers and keep pace with the
national economy.
Ontario has extraordinary economic advantages: a highly skilled workforce, world -class industries and
unparalleled access to North American markets. We should be creating the conditions for businesses to
invest, expand and create good-paying jobs. Instead, Doug Ford is spending $28.9 million on a luxury
private jet while Ontario loses jobs.
Ontario deserves an economic strategy focused on productivity, investment and good -paying jobs—not
misplaced priorities. We can and must do better.