‘Here’s who lost jobs in the pandemic, and who needs support’

By Iglika Ivanova
The Tyee (July 17, 2020)

The COVID-19 crisis has caused unprecedented job losses across Canada, and B.C. has not been spared. Between February and May almost 590,000 B.C. workers lost their jobs or more than half their hours — 23 per cent of all workers employed in February. Despite a slight recovery of jobs in May and June, the scale of job losses and disruptions far exceed those seen in typical recessions.

While all sectors of the economy have been affected, the labor market hit has worsened existing inequalities. Lower paid workers in part-time, temporary and more precarious jobs where much more likely to lose their jobs or the majority of their hours than those in higher paid, more secure jobs.

Iglika Ivanova is a senior economist and the public interest researcher at the B.C. office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.