The Institut de la statistique du Québec has just released its Labor Market and Compensation bulletin which suggests that Quebec suffered almost 450,000 job losses as a result of the pandemic. Around a 10% drop in total employment was recorded between March and June compared to the same four-month span in 2019. The most affected industries were the service industry, hospitality and restaurants, and "goods-producing."
"This exercise is relevant since some industries have been hit hard, while others seem to have weathered the crisis better," said the study's author.
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The service industry dropped 365,000 jobs. The hospitality and restaurant sector lost over 96,000 jobs — about 40% of the sector's total number of jobs.
Between March and June 2020, the retail industry counted 73,000 fewer jobs than in the same period in 2019. Manufacturing lost 47,400 jobs.
Quebecers aged 15 to 24 "were the most affected with a drop of almost 25% of their employment volume or 132,000 jobs during the analysis period."
When the pandemic hit, there was a massive wave of unemployment and while the government tried to mitigate job loss as much as possible, many industries were incapable of paying their employees.
Institut de la statistique du Québec
Though many people are back to work again, the effects of the pandemic are still being felt.
The statistics also reveal a drastic gender divide in terms of how many jobs were lost.
Institut de la statistique du Québec
238,100 women lost their jobs compared to 209,100 men.
It will likely take months to get a clearer picture of the long-term effects of such significant job loss in Quebec.
