Michelle Mungall, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for July 2020:

“BC’s Restart Plan continues to create positive signs for our economy, but we still have a long way to go as we build a strong recovery.

“The Labour Force Survey for July showed British Columbia created another 70,200 jobs last month. Added to the employment gains we saw in May and June, B.C. has recovered about 58% of the jobs lost in March and April.

“This month saw significant job gains in some of the hardest hit sectors as more and more businesses reopen their doors. Wholesale and retail trade, along with food services and accommodation, increased by 48,300 jobs in July.

“Total job losses since the start of the pandemic stand at 164,900. While our province’s unemployment rate fell by about two percentage points, it remains at 11.1%.

“British Columbians have made enormous sacrifices to keep our communities safe from COVID-19 so far. We all need to be careful to protect the progress we’ve made.

“For the first time, Statistics Canada has included data on visible minorities in its monthly survey, which will help provide a fuller picture of who’s being impacted by changes in the job market. From this first report, we see that South Asian, Arab and Black Canadians are seeing significantly higher unemployment rates across the country.

“As we navigate our way through this unprecedented challenge, our government will continue to work on a recovery that benefits all British Columbians.”

Learn More:

For information on services and benefits available to help people and businesses through the pandemic, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/COVIDgovernmentbenefits

For non-health related information, including financial, child care and education supports, travel, transportation and essential service information, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/Covid-19
Or call 1 888 COVID19 (1 888 268-4319) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week.