More than a quarter of companies across the country have had to lay off workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, says new Statistics Canada research released Tuesday.
• Read also: LIVE | The latest developments on the coronavirus
• Read also: A confirmed case of intrauterine contamination
• Read also: Wearing a mask: furious at having to play the police
The federal agency’s Canadian Survey on the Business Situation (CCHS) also indicates that almost 40% of businesses have reduced hours or shifts. Worse, more than a quarter (28.4%) had no choice but to lay off workers.
“Almost one-fifth (17.4%) of all businesses have laid off half or more of their workers,” said the survey on the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in Canada.
It must be said that the revenues of more than half of the businesses fell by 30% or more last April compared to the same month last year. More than a third (35.3%) reported that their income had halved or more than halved.
Most affected arts and recreation
Recall that at the end of May, due to the health crisis, many companies had to adapt quickly to the situation by reducing working hours, laying off workers, requesting government funding and requesting the deferral of the payment of rents. Telework has also become a solution for many.
The study notes that more than 80% of businesses in the arts, entertainment and recreation (89.6%), agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (83.0%) and accommodation and food services (80.3%) who laid off indicated that they had laid off at least 50% of their workforce. The least affected sector is finance and insurance (5.4%).
Some sectors have been more affected than others by measures taken by governments to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Almost all businesses in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector (94.3%) and in the accommodation and food services sector (94.1%) reported having taken personnel measures. This is also the case for almost all businesses with more than 100 employees (90.9%).
In addition, approximately 19.3% of businesses estimate that they can continue operating at their current level of income and expenses for less than six months before having to consider other personnel, closure or bankruptcy measures.
Telework
The statistics agency also points out that around 22.5% of businesses expect 10% or more of their staff to continue teleworking after the pandemic is over.
In sectors such as the information and cultural industries (47.2%) and professional, scientific and technical services (44.5%), more than two-fifths of businesses expected that at least 10% of their workforce continues teleworking after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ECSE is the result of a partnership between Statistics Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. It was conducted from May 29 to July 3 with business owners across Canada.
–
