Eased pandemic restrictions across provinces caused a substantial rebound for Canada’s workforce. The unemployment rate fell to 8.2% in February, the lowest mark since March 2020.
January provided a grim outlook on the labour force as provinces continued to battle the second wave of the pandemic. However, February brought a glimpse of recovery as regions with strict COVID-19 rules began opening parts of their economy again.
The number of workers in the retail industry rose by 122,000 while accommodation and food services accounted for another 65,000 jobs.
An increase in these two industries is a large factor for the rise of part-time positions. Canada recorded 171,000 new part-time positions and another 88,000 full-time jobs.
Despite optimism on a national level, it did not necessarily translate provincially as New Brunswick saw its unemployment rate rise to 8.9%.
All of the province’s health zones were in the orange level of pandemic recovery by the end of February and the recent transition to yellow gives the potential for positive numbers in March.
