Canadian Press Image

By The Canadian Press

Job losses 4 times what was expected

Economy lost over 200 thousand jobs in January

Feb 5, 2021 | 6:50 AM

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the economy lost 213,000 jobs in in January as employment fell to the lowest level since August last year, wiping out the gains made in the fall.

The unemployment rate rose 0.6 percentage points to 9.4 per cent, the highest rate since August.

Financial data firm Refinitiv says the average economist estimate was for a loss of 47,500 jobs in January and an unemployment rate of 8.9 per cent.

The losses were almost entirely concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, and mostly in the retail sector as lockdowns and restrictions closed many businesses.

Employment declines were heavy in the services sector and part-time work fuelling the largest monthly decline since April when some two million jobs were lost.

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: April 2-5

Apr 02, 2026

What's On

Top five things to do at the Medicine Hat Public Library in April

Apr 01, 2026

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: March 27-29

Mar 27, 2026

Statistics Canada says the losses in January now put the country 858,300 jobs, or 4.5 per cent, short of employment levels from last February just before the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alberta’s unemployment rate was lower in January – at 10.7 per cent. That’s 4 tenths of a per cent lower than December.

There were 20,800 new jobs in Alberta in January, most of them part time.

It was 7.2 per cent in Saskatchewan.