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Over 350,000 job losses reported in BC, youth unemployment spikes to 28.9% due to COVID-19

Job losses in BC have continued to spike due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Finance Minister Carole James provided an update on the provincial employment situation reporting that as many as 353,2000 jobs have been lost.

Of those job losses, roughly 115,000 of those positions were held by young people with the youth unemployment rate spiking to 28.7%.

Since the pandemic began, more than 521,000 people have applied for B.C.’s Emergency Benefit for Workers, a one-time payment of $1,000 for British Columbians whose work has been impacted by the pandemic.

“Today’s survey reflects job and employment information that was collected during the week of May 10 to May 16, before BC’s gradual reopening had fully begun,” noted James.

“We have a long road ahead of us in our recovery. Behind the numbers, there are many thousands of families, young people, and businesses struggling to make ends meet.”

She said that in the coming months, “we hope to see further positive results as our economic recovery begins to take shape.”

On Thursday, Dr. Bonnie Henry's daily update announced that BC had confirmed nine new cases and no new deaths in the past 24 hours.



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