Coronavirus Update: Canada’s labour market added 245,800 jobs in August

Good evening, are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Canada’s economy added 245,800 jobs in August
2. Employment growth in the United States slowed in August
3. Cases in Quebec and Ontario continue to creep up

In Canada, there have been at least 130,493 cases reported. In the last week 3,721 new cases were announced, 28 per cent more than the previous week. There have also been at least 115,444 recoveries and 9,141 deaths. Health officials have administered more than 6,035,254 tests.

Worldwide, there have been at least 26,031,410 cases confirmed and 863,028 deaths reported.

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus explainers: Updates and essential resources • Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening plans in each province • Global rules on mask-wearing • Back to school

Photo of the day

Open this photo in gallery:

Number of the day

$1,000

Two air travellers are facing $1,000 fines imposed by Transport Canada after refusing to wear masks aboard separate WestJet flights.

• The two passengers were repeatedly asked to wear face coverings and refused. They reported by onboard employees to company security, who then notified Transport Canada, WestJet said.
• The federal government issued an interim order in April requiring air passengers to wear a face covering during flights and in airport terminals.
• On Sept. 1, WestJet Airlines Ltd. began implementing a “zero tolerance” policy for passengers who refuse to wear a face covering

Coronavirus in Canada

• Peel, Ontario represents three per cent of the province’s population, but about 48 per cent of new coronavirus cases. Peel, Toronto and Ottawa have reported double-digit, upward-trending numbers over the past few weeks, while the rest of the province reports around five or fewer new cases.
• In response to a new upward trend in cases, the Premier of Quebec urged people in the province to continue to wear masks and physically distance over the long weekend. The province reported 184 new cases.
• Newfoundland and Labrador said rotational workers, those who enter and leave the province at set intervals for work, can be tested on day 5 of self-isolation, and if they test negative, could potentially leave isolation by day 7. Currently, workers must isolate for 14 days – a period that is sometimes longer than their time off.
• Prince Edward Island reported one new case, an international traveller, for a total of three active cases in the province.

In Ottawa, Dr. Theresa Tam warned that looming colder weather and indoor gatherings pose health risks, and urged people to reconsider their own risk factors when making plans.

• Indoor private settings are a major concern, and health authorities will introduce new restrictions if they are required to reduce outbreaks, Dr. Tam said.
• However, those measures shouldn’t be needed if people follow public health advice, she said.

An average of 525 cases a day have been reported in the past week, a noticeable uptick from earlier in the summer.

Coronavirus around the world

• In the United States, employment growth slowed again in August and permanent job losses increased. While the unemployment rate fell to 8.4 per cent, it was biased down by a continuing misclassification problem. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said he has been tested for COVID-19, and will be routinely tested during the rest of the campaign for the White House.
• Just days into a return to school, a dozen schools in France have closed because of a surge in coronavirus cases.
• In Madrid, Spain, a second-wave of cases resulted in the introduction of new restrictions on social gatherings.
• The European Union’s Commission proposed a traffic light system for its 27 member countries, to help coordinate border controls and ease confusion.

Coronavirus and business

Canada added 245,800 jobs in August. The labour market has now recouped about 64 per cent of the three million positions that were lost between February and April.

• However, the 245,800 new jobs signal a slowdown from the gains made in the previous two months. The country added 419,000 jobs in July, and 953,000 jobs in June.
• The unemployment rate declined to 10.2 per cent from July’s 10.9 per cent, Statistics Canada said.
• All of August’s employment gain came from the private sector, and most was in full-time jobs.

Also today: 38 per cent of companies surveyed by IDC Canada have opened offices in a limited capacity, and another 11 per will later this month. Here’s the Globe’s guide to going back to the office.

And: Food processors across Canada have started to receive money from the $77.5-million emergency fund that was announced in May. The fund aims to help businesses adapt to COVID-19 protocols or purchase PPE.

Globe opinion

• Eric Reguly: “Two relatively cheap solutions [to prevent another economic decline] already exist to keep economies trundling along: masks and the new generation of rapid COVID-19 tests. The trouble is, neither is being embraced with alacrity, even if their benefits are obvious.”
• Elizabeth Renzetti: “[W]hy does Canada lag so far behind other developed countries in implementing [a paid sick leave] program? Possibly because the people who would benefit most from it have the least political capital.”
• Naomi Buck: We need to work together to get kids back in school – for their sake and for ours. Perfection isn’t necessary.

More reporting

• Virgin Atlantic, which has already announced around 3,500 job losses, says it will cut 1,150 more positions.
• The CEO of the postponed Tokyo Olympics said a COVID-19 vaccine is ‘not a requirement’ to hold games in 2021.
• Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, “Sputnik-V”, produced an antibody response in all participants in early-stage trials, according to results published by The Lancet.

Distractions

🍿For the movie buff: A preview of all the most exciting movies definitely, probably, maybe coming out this upside-down fall season

• Why Women Kill is one saucy, sharp soap opera
• The Mulan remake is gorgeous and epic, no matter the size of your screen
• Love, Guaranteed is guaranteed to break your heart, and then your brain, and then your will to live.

And: TIFF 2020: How the Toronto film festival hopes to pull off a pandemic-era Hollywood ending

Information centre

• Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
• are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating. What to cook with rhubarb (aside from pie).
• ’s what you should do if you are newly laid off; how to apply for CERB, EI, and other financial benefits; how the CRA might identify CERB fraud; and other coronavirus and employment questions answered. What to do if your employees don’t return to work because they want to collect CERB.

What are we missing? Email us: audience@globeandmail.com. Do you know someone who needs this newsletter? Send them to our Newsletters page.