BC Finance Minister Carole James projecting a grim outlook of the job market in the wake of COVID-19

B.C. Finance Minister Carole James says the province lost 132,000 jobs last month, but it's going to get worse before it gets better due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She says the latest Statistics Canada Labour Force numbers indicate B.C.'s jobless rate rose to 7.2 per cent from five per cent in March.

James says she expects the jobless numbers to increase over the coming weeks as they indicate the ongoing impact of the pandemic on the economy and workers and families. She says the province has introduced a $5 billion action plan to help workers, families and businesses endure the pandemic.