The Business & Community Newsletter – April 2020

Statistics Canada is responding to the COVID-19 challenge by collecting information vital to the economy and society—remotely and safely. Our employees are working hard to support critical government operations with data, analytics and methodological expertise.

The pandemic is unprecedented in the scope of issues that are affected. From the onset of this event, Statistics Canada has been committed to quickly collecting and publishing information to shed light on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country's economy and the social and employment situation as well as the physical and mental health of Canadians.

This special edition of the Business and Community Newsletter aims to assist Canadian business and community leaders to better understand the effects of the pandemic through relevant and timely data. Given the fluidity of the evolving situation, this edition contains critical and time-sensitive information that can assist in evidence-based decision-making.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our data collection teams for their adaptability and dedication in these unusual circumstances and, of course, Canadians from coast to coast for the generosity of spirit they continue to display by participating in our surveys. We are counting on all of you!

Statistics Canada is assessing the impacts of COVID-19 in Canada by developing new approaches and products to better serve Canadians and deliver insight through data. We are leveraging our regular programs and surveys, such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS), Retail and Wholesale Trade and other business surveys, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Consumer Price Surveys (CPI), to guide discussions and decisions. Additionally, we are conducting supplementary surveys to provide depth and understanding.

For example, we launched a web panel survey asking Canadians how they are coping. Key indicators from this panel survey will provide the latest data on a number of issues important to Canadians, ranging from child and elder care to stress and mental health. On the business front, in cooperation with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, we just recently conducted the Canadian Survey of Business Conditions. (See below for more information.)

All this information has been brought together in one easy to find portal on our website: COVID-19: A data perspective.

Currently on the COVID-19: A data perspective portal, you will find:

• Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19
• StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada. A series of articles on various subjects which explore the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic landscape. New articles will be released periodically
• Latest releases from The Daily
• Links to Government of Canada resources
• Links to related initiatives

Statistics Canada is conducting a data collection on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians. This data collection is conducted in multiple stages, with the questionnaire regularly changing.

The current questionnaire focusses on mental health. Take a few minutes and participate now!

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the lives of Canadians, including their health, finances and sense of security, it is important that we collect information to help determine the needs of the population, and implement appropriate support measures, during and after the pandemic.

Statistics Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, has developed a new nationwide survey called the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC). The initial collection of this volunteer survey, targeting responses from business owners and associations, was conducted in April. To help spread the word quickly, the Chamber is promoting the survey through the Canadian Business Resilience Network.

The purpose of the CSBC is to measure the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses in Canada. It will provide important data to businesses, governments, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and thousands of business-related entities. This will help inform decision-making as they collectively navigate the way forward.

This survey is one of the largest and fastest crowdsourced surveys in Statistics Canada's 100-year history. It is an example of what can be achieved when like-minded organizations work together to serve Canadians.

The March Labour Force Survey (LFS) results reflect labour market conditions during the week of March 15 to 21. By then, a sequence of unprecedented government interventions related to COVID-19—including the closure of non-essential businesses, travel restrictions, and public health measures directing Canadians to limit public interactions—had been put in place.

These interventions resulted in a significant slowdown in economic activity and a sudden shock to the Canadian labour market. The slowdown continued beyond the LFS reference week and is likely to be more fully reflected in April LFS data to be released on May 8.

Employment fell by more than one million in March (-1,011,000; -5.3%). The employment rate—or the proportion of people aged 15 and older who were employed—fell 3.3 percentage points to 58.5%, the lowest rate since April 1997.

For more details, check out the article Labour Force Survey, March 2020 in The Daily.

Come connect with us on any of a number of social media platforms, and get data updates from Statistics Canada hot off the press.