Capital jobless rate drops below five per cent, lowest since 2009

It took nearly a decade but the capital region’s job market has finally returned to its pre-recession strength, at least by one key measure.
Statistics Canada reported Friday that the jobless rate in Ottawa-Gatineau tumbled to 4.8 per cent in March from 5.1 per cent in February. This reflected a net gain of 2,600 jobs while the labour force, which includes people looking for work, grew by just 400.
It was the first time since January 2009 that the region’s unemployment rate registere