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Canada saw聽its unemployment rate increase聽more than 8聽per cent in April 2021, as employment fell by 207,000.
Statistics Canada measured聽聽during the week of April 11 to 17.聽Canadian provinces聽were聽introducing stricter health measures because of the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases across the country.聽A stay-at-home order was introduced in Ontario.聽Quebec had 8 p.m. and 9:30聽p.m.聽curfews in place.聽British Columbia also聽had聽closed聽restaurants and bars for indoor dining.
In addition, the number of people who聽were working less than half of their usual hours increased by 288,000聽in April, and the number of people working from home increased by 100,000 up to聽about聽5 million.
Employment down in industries with聽high numbers of聽immigrants
Immigrants have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is in part due to the fact that many are employed in affected industries.
The majority of the employment decline came from three private sector industries: retail trade; accommodation and food services; and information, culture and recreation.
Employment in these three industries聽is聽largely affected by health measures.聽Job numbers聽tend to聽rise and fall in line with the tightening and easing of restrictions.
The accommodation and food services industry lost 59,000 jobs in April. Most of these losses came from Ontario and British Columbia. This is because these provinces re-introduced orders that force restaurants and bars to close to indoor dining in late March and early April.
In the information, culture and recreation industry, employment fell by 26,000. Employment recovery is restricted because of the current public health measures, which affect travel, indoor recreation, and also limit the number of people that can gather in public places.
Employment fell by 84,000, in the retail trade industry in April. Strict restrictions were imposed on non-essential stores in Ontario, Alberta and many Quebec regions.
Unemployment rate higher among visible minorities
The unemployment rate for visible minorities increased聽half of a聽percentage point, to聽almost聽10聽per cent in April. For white Canadians, the unemployment rate did not change much, and was at聽nearly 8聽per cent.
Among Southeast Asian Canadians, the unemployment rate increased聽to聽nearly 14聽per cent. Among Filipino聽Canadians,聽it increased聽to聽more than 6聽per cent.
It is worth noting that the proportion of Southeast Asian and Filipino聽Canadian workers employed in the accommodation and food services sector is higher than the national average.
Recent immigrants saw a rise in employment rate
The employment rate among聽recent immigrants recovered from losses early in the pandemic.聽These are聽immigrants who have been in Canada for five years or less.
Around two thirds聽of recent immigrants were employed in February, March and April 2021. This rate is up聽by聽more than聽2 percentage points聽from the聽three-month period beginning in December 2019 and ending in February 2020.
Due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, the number of new immigrants coming into Canada dramatically decreased. The population of these immigrants has been falling faster than their employment. This may explain why the employment rate for this group has risen.
For immigrants who have been in Canada for more than five years, the employment rate dropped聽to聽nearly聽58聽per cent.
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