Statistics Canada says B.C. gained 15,300 employed people in August, creating a slight drop in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from 11.1 per cent to 10.7.

While thatB次元官网网址檚 the third month of improvement in a row, itB次元官网网址檚 less than June and July and making further gains wonB次元官网网址檛 be easy, says Ken Peacock, chief economist for the Business Council of B.C. And the end of the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is going to have an enormous impact.

B次元官网网址淚f this were normal times, a 15,000 upward movement would be quite good, even kind of strong,B次元官网网址� Peacock said in an interview with Black Press Media Sept. 4. B次元官网网址淏ut in this current context, itB次元官网网址檚 such a dramatic pull-back from the previous couple of months. It speaks to exactly what weB次元官网网址檝e been concerned about, that the low-hanging fruit in terms of rehiring has been accomplished, and weB次元官网网址檙e going to see sluggish job growth from here on out.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his is going to force people back to work, but the question is are the jobs going to be there for them.B次元官网网址� - 's Ken Peacock

B次元官网网址� Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc)

Peacock notes that 1.15 million people in B.C. applied for CERB since it was offered in spring, with few barriers to receiving $2,000 per month to offset lost income during the pandemic.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 45 per cent of the pre-COVID workforce, so nearly half of all employed people in B.C. at some point have claimed the CERB,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his is going to force people back to work, but the question is are the jobs going to be there for them.B次元官网网址�

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Statistics CanadaB次元官网网址檚 breakdown by city shows similar gains as the national job picture. VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 unemployment rate went from 11.1 per cent to 10.3, KelownaB次元官网网址檚 fell to nine per cent from 10 and Abbotsford-Mission barely moved from 8.3 per cent to 8.2.

CERB was originally to run out at the end of August, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a four-week extension on Aug. 20, with a promise of a transition to a revised program.

The federal government is making Employment Insurance more accessible and available for self-employed people, but itB次元官网网址檚 nowhere near a replacement for the CERB, Peacock said. And B.C.B次元官网网址檚 $1.5 billion business relief fund may sound like a lot but it is modest compared to the federal wage support and other pandemic programs that are also due to wind down.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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