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The Canadian economy lost more than 60,000 jobs in December, the first time employment has fallen since April 2020.
According to a Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, employment fell by 63,000 last month, driving the unemployment rate to 8.6%.
The industries that saw the greatest loss of jobs were most affected by increased public health measures, including accommodation and food services, as did information, culture, and recreation.
The report shows that part-time employment suffered as well, declining by 99,000 in December. Of the jobs cut, 58,000 were held by those aged 15-24, and 27,000 by those aged 55 and older. Self-employment fell by 62,000.
The second wave of the virus forced more Canadians to work from home, with 28.6% doing so in December.
More Canadians Are Financially Stable, Finding New Ways to Save Money in 2020: Poll
While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp increase in the unemployment rate in 2020, more Canadians said they are financially stable compared to the previous year.
Roughly 23 percent of Canadians said they don’t have any barriers to financial stability, which is a 5 percent increase compared to the same period of time in 2019, according to a Global News Ipsospoll.
The survey revealed that most Canadians have found new ways to save money in the past year. Roughly half of the participants said they cut back on expenses by either buying less “non-essential” products or by spending less on food and clothing.
Author of the article: Max Martin • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Publishing date: Dec 29, 2020 • December 30, 2020 • 2 minute read • Matthew Senior mixes mortar as bricklayers work on an exterior wall of a home in Ilderton, north of London. Construction is among the few parts of Ontario s rural economy that haven t been hit by COVID-19 s second wave. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)
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Employment in rural Ontario fell by 3.8 per cent in November, faltering after months of improvement since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, new figures show.
About 24,000 fewer people were employed in Ontario’s rural areas and small towns last month compared to the average employment numbers for the same month during the previous three years, according to findings from the Rural Ontario Institute.
COVID-19 in Canada: Canadians working from home could be eligible for a tax break The tax deduction allows employees to claim $2 for each day they worked from home, up to $400 by Julia Mastroianni on December 18th, 2020 at 10:30 AM 1 of 1 2 of 1
Millions of Canadians working from home may qualify for a tax break of up to $400 dollars, according to an announcement from the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) on December 15.
Employees will be eligible for the tax break if they’ve been working from home more than 50 percent of the time for at least four consecutive weeks due to COVID-19.
The CRA has created a “simplified” process to claim the deduction for eligible employees. They’ve introduced a temporary flat rate method so employees can claim a $2 deduction for each day they worked from home during that four-week period, along with any other days they’ve worked from home during 2020. Employees can claim up to a maximum of $400.
Canadians working from home could be eligible for a tax break
Canadians working from home could be eligible for a tax break
The tax deduction allows employees to claim $2 for each day they worked from home, up to $400 By Julia Mastroianni
Standsome Worklifestyle/Unsplash
Millions of Canadians working from home may qualify for a tax break of up to $400 dollars, according to an announcement from the Canadian Revenue Agnecy (CRA) on December 15.
Employees will be eligible for the tax break if they’ve been working from home more than 50 per cent of the time for at least four consecutive weeks due to COVID-19.