24.71°C Vancouver

Jun 4, 2021 3:35 PM -

Economy lost 68,000 jobs in May, unemployment rate 8.2%, Statistics Canada says

Share On
economy-lost-68-000-jobs-in-may-unemployment-rate-8-2-statistics-canada-says
Statistics Canada's offices at Tunny's Pasture in Ottawa are shown on Friday, March 8, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Statistics Canada says the economy lost 68,000 jobs in May as lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19 continued.

The losses marked the second consecutive month of declines after 207,000 jobs were lost in April.

The unemployment rate was 8.2 per cent in May, little changed from the 8.1 per cent in April because the number of unemployed people in Canada overall stayed relatively steady.

What changed is that more people dropped out of the labour force in May, including workers who simply got discouraged and gave up looking for work.

The statistics office says there were 49,700 discouraged job-searchers last month, or 9.3 per cent, those who wanted work but did not look for work, more than twice the average of 22,000 seen in 2019.

Friday's data release also notes that 28,000 more core-aged women, those between age 25 and 54, didn't look for work in May as third wave restrictions continued in Ontario and other regions of the country.

Latest news

WorldAug 22, 2025

Rollover crash involving tour bus on the New York Thruway leaves multiple dead, others injured

A tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls crashed Friday, killing and injuring multiple people, police said. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash on I-90 near Pembroke, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Buffalo. Photos taken by bystanders at the scene showed a bus rolled over on its side, just off the highway. “At this time, we have multiple fatalities, multiple entrapments and multiple injuries,” said Trooper James O’Callahan, a spokesperson for the New York State Police. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. PEMBR
rcmp-investigating-counterfeit-bills-spent-in-sidney-bc
CanadaAug 22, 2025

RCMP investigating counterfeit bills spent in Sidney, BC

Sidney RCMP are investigating after counterfeit bills were used at a local business, prompting a warning to other shop owners and residents. On August 21, 2025, Sidney/North Saanich RCMP responded to a report of a counterfeit $100 bill that was used at a local Sidney business. Initial investigative steps by frontline members showed that the counterfeit bill was “prop money” and could be purchased online and in different denominations. Police are advising all businesses and individuals accepting cash payments to carefully inspect all bills for authenticity. It is an offence to recirculat
carney-says-he-will-travel-to-germany-next-week-to-deepen-ties
CanadaAug 22, 2025

Carney says he will travel to Germany next week to deepen ties

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will soon travel to Europe in a bid to deepen ties with Germany. He says he will be "picking up discussions" started with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the spring when the pair met in Rome and later at the G7 summit in Alberta. Carney says Canada has a good partnership with Germany but he believes it can be better. The German government revealed ahead of Carney's announcement that he would meet with Merz on Tuesday morning. Berlin's statement says the two leaders are expected to discuss current foreign and economic policy issues. Carney says Natural Res
BCAug 22, 2025

Richmond RCMP warns public about rental deposit scams

Richmond RCMP is warning the public of a current trend involving rental deposit scams. Since July of 2025, Richmond RCMP officers are investigating five reports of rental deposit frauds where individual losses range from $400 to $2,600. In most cases, the victims found an online advertisement on a social media platform, contacted the alleged owner and were asked to pay a deposit to secure the property via e-transfer. Once the funds were transferred, the victim soon discovered the property was not available for rent. “We realize the rental market is highly competitive, especially around this
b-c-ostrich-farm-loses-court-bid-to-prevent-avian-flu-cull
BCAug 22, 2025

B.C. ostrich farm loses court bid to prevent avian flu cull

The Federal Court of Appeal has rejected a bid by a British Columbia ostrich farm to prevent the culling of its flock that had been infected with avian flu. The court has dismissed two applications by Universal Ostrich Farms over the cull of about 400 birds, which was sought by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It says the "stamping out" policy of the agency, in which infected poultry flocks are killed, is reasonable, and that criteria to apply it had been met in the case of the farm in Edgewood, B.C. The planned cull had drawn opposition from United States officials, including Health Secre

Related News