Carnie's Comments

 

I'm reading a most interesting report on new census data from Statistics Canada today.

The numbers painting a picture of how we Canadians made it through the pandemic.

Incomes actually trended higher in 2020 across most of the country with millions benefitting from supports like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Stats Can says median after-tax household income was $73,000 in 2020, up 9.8% from the last census, conducted five years earlier.

Despite the fact that employment income was down, job losses were partly offset by COVID-19 benefits with about two-thirds of Canadian adults taking advantage of relief programs.

The Canadian Press report says, "Experts had cautioned that the income data...would form a complicated picture of the early pandemic and should be seen as a snapshot in time."

Yes, a snapshot in time most of us will never forget.