Did the COVID-19 pandemic zombify the economy? A look at zombie firms

Articles and reports: 36-28-0001202500100002
Description: Zombie firms are businesses that persistently perform poorly over time without exiting, and their prevalence has been rising over time across many advanced economies. They negatively impact economic growth as they tend to be unproductive and compete with other healthy firms for scarce resources. This article summarizes research by Statistics Canada, that examined zombie firm prevalence and their dynamics over the pandemic period, whether business supports helped to prop up zombie firms or encourage their survival, and their contribution to the decline in Canada’s productivity.
Issue Number: 2025001
Author(s): Amundsen, Alexander; Lafrance-Cooke, Amélie; Leung, Danny
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202500100002-eng
Main Product: Economic and Social Reports
Format Release date More information
HTML January 22, 2025
PDF January 22, 2025