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B.C. Lost More Than 132,000 Jobs In March Due To COVID-19

Downtown Vancouver

Photo: Trish Jewison

As more businesses shut their doors due to COVID-19, B.C. saw more than 132,000 jobs lost in March.

The province saw the third largest employment decline in Canada, last month, and there may be more to come.

RELATED: This Interactive Map Tells You What Vancouver Businesses Are Still Open

B.C.’s unemployment rate reached 7.2% last month, compared to 5% in February. It hasn’t been this high since March 2013, when the unemployment rate was at 7.2% as well.

The data is not complete, however, as it does not include temporary layoffs or those on a leave of absence. 

“We know today’s numbers reflect the initial impacts of the pandemic, and a fuller picture will become clear in next month’s report,” said B.C.’s Finance Minister Carole James.

She added that the quickest way to recover the loss of B.C. jobs is simply to keep following the social distancing rules. The sooner people cooperate, the sooner Canadians can get back to work.

In the meantime, both the federal and provincial government have introduced aid packages to help Canadians during this time.

That includes Employment Insurance, the Canada Emergency Aid Benefit and additional funds from the provincial government.

For more news, head to our News section.

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