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Photo by Dax Melmer / Windsor Star

Although Windsor’s unemployment rate averaged six per cent in 2016 — below the provincial average of 6.5 per cent and national rates of seven per cent, nearly half of those surveyed (42 per cent) also said there needs to be more job opportunities for those seeking work.

Windsor is not unique as every municipality “has gaps” when it comes to adequate wages and jobs, Suchiu said.

“We tend to focus on the negative, so that’s something we need to remember,” she said. “We do have hundreds of jobs posted every day, but where our gap is to make sure the workforce is properly trained to fill these jobs.”

Partnerships have been formed — which include University of Windsor and St. Clair College — to work on the issue, Suchiu said.

Jobs go unfilled across the Windsor area because there aren’t enough qualified workers, said Stephen MacKenzie, CEO of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation.

The living wage issue in Windsor can be “tricky” because the other side of the story is a much lower cost of living locally compared to other municipalities across the country, MacKenzie said.

“When it comes to standard of living and disposable income, I think we are very competitive,” he said. “There are studies that show our region is lower in wages, but our housing and other costs are also lower.”

Areas that showed positive gains this year were under the categories of welcoming immigrants to the city, community safety and supports for youth and seniors.

“This report is the start of a conversation,” Kolody said. “Community leaders use this report in their planning and building partnerships to make things better.

“People should look at this as an opportunity to get involved and make a difference in the community. The more you can make an impact, the more you can make things even better.”

The Vital Signs report can be found at wecf.ca and will also be available in Saturday editions of the Star.

dbattagello@postmedia.com