A new paper released by the Northern Policy Institute indicates COVID-19 hit us differently than southern Ontario.
The authors found the first wave resulted in a slightly less reduction in employment than the rest of the province, but in the second wave, the North experienced a much greater fall in employment.
The male employment rate dropped more severely compared to the province, while females were less likely to become unemployed.
Those in the private sector were most impacted.
Officials say the goal of the paper is to arm decision-makers, community practitioners, business owners, and others, for potential crisis in the future and highlight the distinct realities of Northern Ontario in policy-making.
Based on the findings, several policy recommendations were made in the document, including:
1. Additional employment support following a shutdown can be limited in time, as labour markets appear to recover quickly
2. Future public spending cuts should consider the disproportionately negative effect they will have on Northern Ontario, a region already characterized by relatively low incomes
3. Public health policies should be implemented at a regional level
