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Jock Finalyson, the Business Council of B.C.’s chief policy officer, said it was a “pleasant surprise” to see employment numbers in the province move up.
Further gains in employment are expected as more sectors of the economy reopen in June, July and August, he said.
What’s unknown is how many of the jobs lost will return.
Some businesses have closed permanently, while others are reopening under new operating procedures, with limits on customer numbers.
Surviving businesses might not need as many staff as in the past, Finalyson said.
We are also in the midst of a global recession, which affects manufacturing companies reliant on exports, he said.
“I do think we are bottoming out. It has turned out to be a horrific economic decline, but I think it is going to be relatively brief in duration.”
