The latest look at Manitoba’s job numbers since the province entered lockdown to quell the COVID-19 crisis shows considerable losses, mainly in the services-producing sector.
According to new data from Statistics Canada, the province lost around 6,600 jobs between November and December — a one per cent drop.
About two-thirds of those were full-time positions.
The hardest-hit sector was the “other services” category, which shed 2,700 jobs or 8.9 per cent of the workforce. That includes hair salons, laundry services and others affected by public health measures.
Also significantly impacted were accommodation and food services, information, culture and recreation, and professional, scientific and technical services.
Each lost around 2 per cent of their workforces.
Comparing December 2019 to December 2020, employment in the accommodation and food services sector has dropped by a staggering 40.3 per cent, far and away the biggest change.
Between November and December, there were also 1,800 fewer people working in health care and social assistance, the biggest single loss besides “other services,” however it represents less than 2 per cent of the industry’s workers.
Meantime, there were still some gains, albeit modest ones. The construction and natural resource sectors each picked up about 900 jobs.
Smaller gains were noted in transportation and warehousing, and finance, insurance and real estate.
–With files from The Canadian Press