MICHELLE Mungall, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness, in response to the release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for July 2020 on Friday, said: “BC’s Restart Plan continues to create positive signs for our economy, but we still have a long way to go as we build a strong recovery. The Labour Force Survey for July showed British Columbia created another 70,200 jobs last month. Added to the employment gains we saw in May and June, B.C. has recovered about 58% of the jobs lost in March and April.”

She added: “This month saw significant job gains in some of the hardest hit sectors as more and more businesses reopen their doors. Wholesale and retail trade, along with food services and accommodation, increased by 48,300 jobs in July.

“Total job losses since the start of the pandemic stand at 164,900. While our province’s unemployment rate fell by about two percentage points, it remains at 11.1%.

“British Columbians have made enormous sacrifices to keep our communities safe from COVID-19 so far. We all need to be careful to protect the progress we’ve made.

“For the first time, Statistics Canada has included race-based data in its monthly survey, which will help provide a fuller picture of who’s being impacted by changes in the job market. From this first report, we see that South Asian, Arab and Black Canadians are seeing significantly higher unemployment rates across the country.

“As we navigate our way through this unprecedented challenge, our government will continue to work on a recovery that benefits all British Columbians.”