Working women on P.E.I. suffering more in pandemic

Women on P.E.I. are having a harder time holding onto their jobs than men in the COVID-19 pandemic, which runs contrary to the national trend.

In its release of the April labour force Survey Friday morning, Statistics Canada noted employment losses were split roughly evenly between men and women.

"I don't see that in P.E.I.," said UPEI economist Jim Sentance.

"From February, the unemployment rate for women 25 and over has almost doubled."

From March to April, the unemployment rate for men was up only marginally, said Sentance, 0.4 percentage points. It was up almost four times as much for women.

The rate was up more for women despite them leaving the workforce at a higher rate than men.

P.E.I.'s unemployment rate was relatively stable in April despite the loss of 9,200 jobs, because a large number of Islanders stopped looking for work.

The number of men in the workforce fell by 8.6 per cent, but the number of women was down 10.8 per cent.

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