Jobless rate was on the upswing last month
The unemployment rate in the Yukon is creeping higher as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to squeeze the economy, especially as winter continues.
The unemployment rate in the Yukon is creeping higher as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to squeeze the economy, especially as winter continues.
“There were 1,600 unemployed in Yukon in February 2021,” states a report from the Yukon Bureau of Statistics.
“This figure increase by 600, or 60 per cent, compared to February 2020, and increased by 300, or 23.1 per cent, compared to January 2021.”
Another report from the bureau shows there were 785 job vacancies in Yukon in the fourth quarter of 2020, 71.5 per cent of which were for full-time work; and 68.2 per cent for permanent positions.
Most of the vacancies were in sales and service occupations (505) followed by trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (85); and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (55).
The number of job vacancies in Yukon translates into a job vacancy rate of 4.4 per cent, the highest in Canada followed by British Columbia (4.2 per cent).
Nationally, there were 560,215 job vacancies in the fourth quarter of 2020, 68.3 per cent of which were for full-time work; 75.8 per cent for permanent positions. The national job vacancy rate was 3.5 per cent.
In February 2020 (i.e. prior to business closures due to COVID-19), the Yukon’s labour force was 23,800, the number of employed was 22,900, the number of unemployed was 1,000,” the report stated.
“In February 2021, many Yukoners, who did not look for work, presumably due to business closures, were not counted as unemployed resulting in a decrease in labour force compared to January and February of 2020.”
“When unemployment is adjusted to reflect this decrease in labour force, Yukon’s February unemployment rate would be 8.5 per cent; for Canada, it would be 10.7 cent.”
The Labour Force Survey estimates that 72.8 per cent of Yukoners aged 15 years and over were employed or seeking employment in February 2021.
Bishnu Saha, the director of the bureau, suggested the unemployment rate is creeping up due to more people trickling back into the work force.
The number of people who haven’t actively been searching for a job peaked at nearly 10,000 people, he said, but is now closer to 8,800 people.
Comments (16)
Up 4 Down 5
GameStop Billionaire on Apr 5, 2021 at 11:16 am
8800 unemployed people not looking for work out of a population of 35k~ish. Did I read that right?
Thanks for the heads up. Will be moving most assets out of Canadian currency as soon as the market opens. Winter is coming.
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What a load on Apr 3, 2021 at 9:08 am
How many of those 'job vacancies' are for dozens of employees per restaurant / hotel, advertised under Yuwin with NOC numbers attached? Someone should do investigative reporting and apply for all those jobs, see what happens. My guess is they are already earmarked for 'Nominees'.
Up 10 Down 5
Groucho d'North on Apr 2, 2021 at 10:04 am
@Observer
The only thing solid regarding our economy is this administration's lock on the federal money teat. There is another story on this website informing about the rising jobless numbers, which normally indicates a failing economy.
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Observer on Apr 1, 2021 at 4:01 pm
If I were the Cons, I would encourage their board member not to be making predictions, considering he wouldn't even get elected as the local dog catcher.
Up 13 Down 5
SW on Apr 1, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Wilf. UIC hasn't been a thing for decades. DECADES.
Up 18 Down 10
Wilf Carter on Apr 1, 2021 at 12:58 pm
NDP and liberals are running scared by the responses to the comments and trying to cover up their behavior.
But both are missing as these comments reflect what Yukoners are seeing as a whole about these two parties.
Up 31 Down 9
Mike on Apr 1, 2021 at 7:54 am
These facts are undeniably horse crap there are 1600 unemployed between Watson Lake Ross River and Teslin. Face the facts folks, this liberal Government has lied manipulated and misled us Yukon residents since they took power it's gross and shameful
Up 29 Down 10
Vern Schlimbesser on Apr 1, 2021 at 6:33 am
The Yukon Liberals created 1043 new PERMANENT GOVERNMENT jobs here since Sandy's arrival. I wonder if we still have a Doctor and Nurse shortage? Bet we do!
I'll also go out on a limb and say most of those were filled from down South by people who moved up for the work. I'll creep a bit further out and guess most didn't come up alone. So the population grows, which brings the ratio back in line?
A young 'Eastern Canadian from an island' told me 50 years ago "Always apply for unemployment" he told me, "the Government sets their acceptable rate and you never know when they might be a few recipients short...I know" he added, "they bought me two trucks and sent me to Hawaii."
The lies are old ones, and institutional.
Up 13 Down 14
Wilf Carter on Mar 31, 2021 at 11:38 pm
These are interesting numbers for Yukoners.
So we have 1,600 Yukoners receiving UOC benefits looking for work.
At the bottom end we have 8,800 Yukoners looking for work not receiving any UIC benefits
1,600 plus 8800 equals 10,400 looking for work in the Yukon at present time.
We have a total working at present time of 22,900 with 10,400 not working at all and looking for work.
Our total labor force in Yukon is 22,900 plus 10,400 = 33,300 total people available to work in Yukon.
If you take 33,300 people looking for work and divide that by 10,400 means our real un-employment rate is 32% not 4.4%.
Folks the real un-employment rate is determined by both looking for work and receiving benefits not just receiving UIC benefits.
What do think that is going to do to our economy??
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Observer on Mar 31, 2021 at 9:57 pm
Cons make me laugh. The same stats that are used before or during Con govermments are all of a sudden not any good once a Liberal Party has the economy on a solid footing.
Up 25 Down 2
What are the real stats? on Mar 31, 2021 at 7:48 pm
What I want to know is the statistic of people working who are doing multiple jobs vs able body people not working at all. Sure there are more people filling positions but often it’s 1 person filling 2-4 of these jobs just to make ends meet.
Up 24 Down 7
bonanzajoe on Mar 31, 2021 at 5:08 pm
There is no reason why there should be any unemployment up here. So many of the immigrants coming up have to work 2 jobs. So, what are those so-called unemployed doing? I can guess.
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bonanzajoe on Mar 31, 2021 at 5:06 pm
JSM: If only the young people could see through the trickery - smoke and mirrors, socialists practice.
Up 21 Down 11
bonanzajoe on Mar 31, 2021 at 5:04 pm
Hot Pants: Well, that's the way socialists - Liberals/NDP work. Its called deception.
Up 41 Down 11
Hot Pants on Mar 31, 2021 at 3:13 pm
On an upswing from what? These sorts of stats are a lie and are calculated and presented in such a fashion as to confuse the matter of the actual unemployment rate. Liar, liar, pants on fire...
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JSM on Mar 31, 2021 at 1:55 pm
Not a surprise with the lieberal party in charge. They would like to see us all out of a job and grovelling at there feet for handouts.