Phase 1: Spring 2020

By early April 2020, Statistics Canada reported that 3,100,000 Canadians had experienced job loss or a reduction in hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By June 2020, Statistics Canada was reporting that the employment of 5.5 million Canadians had been impacted by COVID-19. Locally, the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region which covers the counties of Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth saw unemployment move from 5.9% in March to a high of 9.6% in June 2020. In order to understand the initial impact COVID-19 had on the local workforce, the Four County Labour Market Planning Board conducted a survey between April and June 2020. The following report analyzes responses received from this first survey.

Phase 2: Fall 2020

By October and November 2020, the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region began to show signs of economic recovery, and by December 2020 (reflecting data from November 2020), the local unemployment rate had dropped to 5.4%. At that time the Planning Board conducted a second survey in order to understand the ongoing impact of COVID-19.  The following report analyzes responses received from this second survey, capturing the experiences of individuals in Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth counties eight to nine months after the pandemic began.