coronavirus pandemic might be able to rehire more workers now that the government has broadened an emergency federal wage subsidy, industry groups and economists say.“We are far from out of the woods at this point and businesses are going to need that continuing assistance,” said Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
He said the chamber was “very encouraged.”Uptake of the program has been slow, with critics pointing to the requirement that businesses show a minimum 30 per cent revenue decline to get a 75 per cent payroll subsidy of up $847 per week.
Last week, Finance Minister Bill Morneau eased that requirement, and extended the aid until mid-December to make it more accessible and provide more certainty. .