OTTAWA -- Statistics Canada reports 17,200 jobs were lost in the Ottawa-Gatineau area in March, as the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
More than one million jobs were lost across Canada, spiking the national unemployment rate to 7.8 per cent.
According to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for March 2020, there were 758,800 jobs in Ottawa and Gatineau, down from 776,000 in February.
The unemployment rate in the National Capital Region rose 0.8 per cent in March to 5.1 per cent.
The Ottawa side lost 15,300 jobs, while the Gatineau side lost 1,900 jobs. Unemployment in Ottawa rose to 4.9 per cent from 4.2 per cent, while in Gatineau it rose to 5.8 from 4.7 per cent.
In Kingston, Statistics Canada says 1,300 jobs were lost between February and March. The unemployment rate rose to 5.7 per cent from 5.2 per cent
