“It’s so disappointing to know that all the struggles won’t be worth it if Canada doesn’t adjust its policies”.
-Tania Martinez
Tania Martinez graduated from Centennial College with a post-graduate diploma in Event management in September 2020. She came to Canada with a simple plan. To study here and find a job while she in school. Except due to the pandemic that the plan did not work.
She is supposed to receive her post-graduation work permit (PGWP)in March. But according to her, she is still unemployed because there is no job available with PR requirements.
And she is not alone. Employment among young people aged 15 to 24 fell 1.1% in December. Part-time work saw a drop of 5.1%. It's way higher than the previous year.
Unemployment Rate
In January 2021, the employment rate came down to 9.4 percent. But the percentage is higher than the previous few months.
Projection by the IMF shows that Canada’s unemployment rate will go down to 7.92 percent this year.
The unemployment rate wavered down from six percent to eight percent from 2009 till 2010. But the worst rate in the last two decades is seen in 2020. The percentage went up from almost six percent to nine in just a few months.
In April of last year, the unemployment rate went up to 13 percent. 5.5 million people were affected by the lockdown restrictions, and many employers were seeking to cut their losses. With the rise of the second wave, many Canadians lost their jobs again in December 2020. According to data from Statistics Canada, the rate of lay-offs rose 0.3 percent in December. Brining the rate up to 9.4 in January, highest since August 2020. More than 213 thousand jobs were dissipated.
The unemployment rate in Canada and the US
The US also saw a surging unemployment rate in April 2020. In the data collected from Statistics Canada, the US unemployment rate was less than Canada.
The Hardest hit Province
The rate of unemployment is swerving across provinces due to the different public health measures.
Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island saw a rise in unemployment. At the same time, employment in other provinces stayed the same.
Nunavut suffers from the most unemployment rate. However, Yukon has the lowest rate of unemployment.
Manitoba and Quebec are still following the measure introduced in early fall. Recreational and cultural facilities, including in-person dining and retail businesses, have been restricted.
Ontario implemented a lockdown in Toronto and Peel region on November 23. And in December, the lockdown was extended to Windsor and York.
The difference in various health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 has put a cap on many businesses and activities, raising unemployment.
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