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Manitoba bearing the brunt of job loss in Canada, statistics show – CTV News Winnipeg

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WINNIPEG —
Manitoba lost 6,600 jobs in December, according to the latest Statistics Canada labour force survey.

It’s the second straight month of job losses as the province’s economy continues to feel the pandemic pinch.

“The direction in which the job numbers suggest the economy is heading is not encouraging,” said Fletcher Barager, associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba.

Manitoba’s job losses are in line with national trends, with employment falling by 63,000 across Canada in December 2020, the first national drop since April 2020.

With December’s job losses the province’s unemployment rate sits at 8.2 per cent, behind the national unemployment rate (8.4 per cent) but still a significant jump since November’s 7.4 per cent unemployment rate.

Code red restrictions, imposed province-wide in early November, are largely seen as the reason for the economic slow-down, said Barager.

Barager points out two segments of the labour force were hit hardest by job losses in December, as unemployment rates in Manitoba are highest among workers aged 15 to 24 and among female workers over the age of 25.

“We can basically say out of those 6,600 jobs that were lost between mid-November and mid-December, they were almost exclusively born by women and workers under the age of 25,” said Barager.

Compared to pre-COVID levels, employment in Manitoba is 5.8 per cent below where it was in February 2020. That’s the lowest in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.

Not all industries are being affected equally.

Some sectors, like construction and real estate, saw job gains in the last month.

Accommodation and food services saw losses, continuing a negative trend that continues to hurt Manitoba’s restaurant industry.

Between December 2019 and December 2020, the food services industry lost 18,000 jobs.

Missing out on the recent holiday season – a busy time for the industry – now puts many restaurants on unsure footing heading into the new year, Shaun Jeffrey, executive director of the Manitoba Restaurant and Food Services Association, said.

“Usually the increase is about 15 to 20 per cent in labour dollars that would normally be increased during the holiday season,” said Jeffrey. “It’s a significant decline and we continue to see these declines now because we’re heading into one of the slowest times of year for our industry.”

Many retailers are in the same position, said Colin Fast, director of policy with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, adding that it may not be as easy as removing code red restrictions before we see a full economic recovery.

“We’ve seen significant changes in consumer activity since the pandemic began,” said Fast.

“People are getting used to ordering online or getting delivery instead of eating at a restaurant. I think we need to see how long it takes for those habits to go back to normal or if they are at all.”

There are some glimmers of economic hope on the horizon.

Carrie Freestone, an economist at RBC, points out the role “pent up demand” will play in Manitoba’s (and Canada’s) economic recovery.

Much like it sounds, “pent up demand” refers to an uptick in consumer spending once all sectors of the economy open up, such as purchasing concert tickets.

Freestone also predicts Manitoba will be one of two provinces to outpace pre-COVID economy output before the end of the year.

“Part of that is just because the initial onset of the contraction was less severe,” said Freestone, pointing out that the first lockdown in Spring 2020 came into effect later and didn’t last as long compared to other provinces.

“We saw retail sales surge in May and June in Manitoba whereas in other provinces a lot of the sectors were still locked down,” she said. “The magnitude of the hit was much less severe.”

Freestone adds that a 17 per cent increase in infrastructure investment by the Manitoba government will also contribute to the province’s economic recovery.

“Obviously we saw that employment numbers were hit pretty hard in November and December but nevertheless we do predict Manitoba will fare significantly better,” she said.  

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Carry On Canadian Business. Carry On!

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business to start in Canada

Human Resources Officers must be very busy these days what with the general turnover of employees in our retail and business sectors. It is hard enough to find skilled people let alone potential employees willing to be trained. Then after the training, a few weeks go by then they come to you and ask for a raise. You refuse as there simply is no excess money in the budget and away they fly to wherever they come from, trained but not willing to put in the time to achieve that wanted raise.

I have had potentials come in and we give them a test to see if they do indeed know how to weld, polish or work with wood. 2-10 we hire, and one of those is gone in a week or two. Ask that they want overtime, and their laughter leaving the building is loud and unsettling. Housing starts are doing well but way behind because those trades needed to finish a project simply don’t come to the site, with delay after delay. Some people’s attitudes are just too funny. A recent graduate from a Ivy League university came in for an interview. The position was mid-management potential, but when we told them a three month period was needed and then they would make the big bucks they disappeared as fast as they arrived.

Government agencies are really no help, sending us people unsuited or unwilling to carry out the jobs we offer. Handing money over to staffing firms whose referrals are weak and ineffectual. Perhaps with the Fall and Winter upon us, these folks will have to find work and stop playing on the golf course or cottaging away. Tried to hire new arrivals in Canada but it is truly difficult to find someone who has a real identity card and is approved to live and work here. Who do we hire? Several years ago my father’s firm was rocking and rolling with all sorts of work. It was a summer day when the immigration officers arrived and 30+ employees hit the bricks almost immediately. The investigation that followed had threats of fines thrown at us by the officials. Good thing we kept excellent records, photos and digital copies. We had to prove the illegal documents given to us were as good as the real McCoy.

Restauranteurs, builders, manufacturers, finishers, trades-based firms, and warehousing are all suspect in hiring illegals, yet that becomes secondary as Toronto increases its minimum wage again bringing our payroll up another $120,000. Survival in Canada’s financial and business sectors is questionable for many. Good luck Chuck!. at least your carbon tax refund check should be arriving soon.

Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca

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Imperial to cut prices in NWT community after low river prevented resupply by barges

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NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Imperial Oil says it will temporarily reduce its fuel prices in a Northwest Territories community that has seen costs skyrocket due to low water on the Mackenzie River forcing the cancellation of the summer barge resupply season.

Imperial says in a Facebook post it will cut the air transportation portion that’s included in its wholesale price in Norman Wells for diesel fuel, or heating oil, from $3.38 per litre to $1.69 per litre, starting Tuesday.

The air transportation increase, it further states, will be implemented over a longer period.

It says Imperial is closely monitoring how much fuel needs to be airlifted to the Norman Wells area to prevent runouts until the winter road season begins and supplies can be replenished.

Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month.

Norman Wells’ town council declared a local emergency on humanitarian grounds last week as some of its 700 residents said they were facing monthly fuel bills coming to more than $5,000.

“The wholesale price increase that Imperial has applied is strictly to cover the air transportation costs. There is no Imperial profit margin included on the wholesale price. Imperial does not set prices at the retail level,” Imperial’s statement on Monday said.

The statement further said Imperial is working closely with the Northwest Territories government on ways to help residents in the near term.

“Imperial Oil’s decision to lower the price of home heating fuel offers immediate relief to residents facing financial pressures. This step reflects a swift response by Imperial Oil to discussions with the GNWT and will help ease short-term financial burdens on residents,” Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, said in a news release Monday.

Wawzonek also noted the Territories government has supported the community with implementation of a fund supporting businesses and communities impacted by barge cancellations. She said there have also been increases to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy in Norman Wells, and continued support for heating costs for eligible Income Assistance recipients.

Additionally, she said the government has donated $150,000 to the Norman Wells food bank.

In its declaration of a state of emergency, the town said the mayor and council recognized the recent hike in fuel prices has strained household budgets, raised transportation costs, and affected local businesses.

It added that for the next three months, water and sewer service fees will be waived for all residents and businesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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U.S. vote has Canadian business leaders worried about protectionist policies: KPMG

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TORONTO – A new report says many Canadian business leaders are worried about economic uncertainties related to the looming U.S. election.

The survey by KPMG in Canada of 735 small- and medium-sized businesses says 87 per cent fear the Canadian economy could become “collateral damage” from American protectionist policies that lead to less favourable trade deals and increased tariffs

It says that due to those concerns, 85 per cent of business leaders in Canada polled are reviewing their business strategies to prepare for a change in leadership.

The concerns are primarily being felt by larger Canadian companies and sectors that are highly integrated with the U.S. economy, such as manufacturing, automotive, transportation and warehousing, energy and natural resources, as well as technology, media and telecommunications.

Shaira Nanji, a KPMG Law partner in its tax practice, says the prospect of further changes to economic and trade policies in the U.S. means some Canadian firms will need to look for ways to mitigate added costs and take advantage of potential trade relief provisions to remain competitive.

Both presidential candidates have campaigned on protectionist policies that could cause uncertainty for Canadian trade, and whoever takes the White House will be in charge during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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