P.E.I. businesses report relative good news, bad news in response to pandemic

The news from P.E.I. businesses was both relatively good and relatively bad compared to the rest of the country in a Statistics Canada report released Tuesday morning.

The report, covering data for May 2020, looked at how businesses responded to the COVID-19 pandemic slowdown in terms of staffing.

On the one hand, P.E.I. was the province with the lowest percentage of businesses saying they cut staff hours or introducedtemporary cost-reduction measures. It had the second lowest rate ofbusinesses reporting they laidoff staff.

On the other hand, P.E.I. firms were the most likely to cancel the hiring of contractors or seasonal workers, and among the least likely to increase wages.

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