Canada creates more jobs reaching pre-pandemic levels

The Canadian economy grew even closer to pre-pandemic levels in March.

Statistics Canada looked at labor market conditions during the week of March 14 to 20, just as the third wave of the coronavirus began. There are several provinces in Canada where public health measures were less restrictive. Stay-at-home orders had been lifted in all regions of Ontario, although personal care services, recreation, and fitness facilities, and in-person meals remained closed in some areas, such as Toronto.

The number of people employed in March was only 1.5% lower than in February 2020, the month before the outbreak of the pandemic, although unemployment rose by around 32%.

Employment gains were observed in all provinces, with the largest increases in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec. Many jobs have been taken over in hard-hit industries such as retail trade and accommodation and food services. Employment in information, culture and recreation services increased for the first time since September.

Employment on the rise in industries with a high proportion of immigrants

Immigrants have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, in part because many are employed in industries that have suffered the brunt of coronavirus-related closures. However, some of these hard-hit industries have started to see a comeback.

The retail sector, for example, employs some 450,000 immigrants, according to 2016 census data. The losses suffered by the industry in January were fully recovered in March.

There were also 21,000 more people working in accommodation and food services, an increase of over 2%. This industry employs approximately 346,000 immigrants.

Construction, which employs more than 238,000 immigrants, was the largest contributor to gains in the goods-producing sector.

There has also been strong growth in immigrant-rich industries such as health care and social assistance, which employ about 523,000 immigrants, and educational services, where more than 264,000 immigrants work.

These gains all contributed to the increase in national employment last month.

Employment rates remain stable for new immigrants

Canada's travel restrictions have reduced the number of newcomers to Canada to an all-time high. In 2020, only 184,000 newcomers became permanent residents.

“Very recent immigrants” are those immigrants who are in Canada for less than five years. Since the number of very recent immigrants is lower and the rate of decline in their population is faster than that of their employment, the employment rate has remained stable for this group. In the three months ending in March, the employment rate for very recent immigrants was around 65%, which was little changed from the three months ending in February 2020.

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As Canada enters the middle of wave three this month, many provinces have implemented public health measures affecting employment. In Ontario, for example, non-essential businesses were forced to shut down for the following month. Restrictions have also tightened in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.

The effects of the coronavirus-related closures will likely be reflected in the April Labor Force Survey, which is expected to be released on May 7.