Canada lost 200,000 jobs in January as Omicron hit hard

Canada’s economy lost 200,000 jobs last month, according to Statistics Canada, as COVID-19 shutdowns related to the Omicron variant led to many businesses closing up shop.

The data agency reported Friday that the decline pushed the jobless rate up half a per cent, to 6.5 per cent.

Most of the job losses were concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, two provinces that saw some of the hardest and earliest surges of the Omicron-driven wave, and which both moved to lock down in reaction.

More to come.

This story was originally published on  CBC News. To read the rest of this news worthy story, please visit https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-jobs-january-1.6339345?cmp=rss.

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