Despite jarring jobs numbers, Canada, U.S. charting different courses

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it’s a fundamental principle of life in Canada that no one should have to go to work if they don’t feel safe doing so.

Trudeau made the comments today as the country confronted some of the worst unemployment numbers in history — nearly two million jobs lost last month and an unemployment rate of 13 per cent.

The jobs data in the United States was even more breathtaking: the Labor Department reported more than 20 million people lost work in April, pushing the jobless rate to 14.7 per cent.

And yet the clamour in the U.S. to reopen the economy has been muted north of the border, a difference Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland attributes to “smart” and “sensible” Canadians who understand the importance of a cautious, careful approach.

Freeland says the latest jobs numbers show the magnitude of the sacrifice Canadians have made so far, and the importance of making sure that sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

At the White House, meanwhile, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is crediting President Donald Trump with creating what she calls the “hottest economy in modern history,” a feat he intends to repeat.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2020.

The Canadian Press