The Numbers Do Not Lie: FAO Report Exposes the Reality of Ontario’s Labour Market Under Doug Ford

QUEEN’S PARK, ON —Stephanie Bowman, Ontario Liberal Critic for Finance & Trade, had a scathing response to the latest update on labour market conditions from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario: 

There’s who Doug Ford says he is, and who Doug Ford really is. The reality is that he is not a Premier who is driving economic growth and strong job creation. The numbers do not lie.

The FAO’s report shows a continued weakening in Ontario’s labour market, with job creation slowing to just 1.0 per cent in 2025 — the slowest pace since 2015 outside of the pandemic — and unemployment rising to 7.7 per cent, the highest level since 2012 outside of the pandemic.

This report is one more clear sign — from an independent office — that the plans of the grandstanding Doug Ford Conservative government are failing to protect the people of Ontario, said Bowman. 

Unemployment is rising faster in Ontario than it is in every other province in the country, and it was getting worse long before U.S. tariffs. Ontario accounts for a 45% of Canada’s unemployed workers, even though the province is home to only 39% of Canada’s labour force.

Ontario is dragging the country down. This government created the conditions for record unemployment and a stagnant economy, and it needs to stand up, step up and take accountability, Bowman continued.

Young Ontarians are being squeezed from every direction. Not only can they not find work, they will be paying off increased OSAP loans and Doug Ford’s half-trillion-dollar debt for years to come. The failing Doug Ford Conservative government is failing to protect and support young people in our province, she said.

People are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table, and Doug Ford is focused on buying himself a luxury private jet.

Doug Ford is not a job creator — he is a job killer. He is not a good money manager – he has yet to table a balanced budget. And he is not a man of the people — he is a man who bought a private jet.

This report underscores the urgent need for a serious economic plan focused on job creation, affordability, and long-term growth.