Inside a small children’s store in Toronto, owner Jill Rochon has slapped new price tags on some of the goods she had recently imported from the U.S. This was the store ambience observed while laughing & conversing with her lone employee that day, Zoe Tilups.
The two seemed to share a relationship that was more than just employer and employee. They admit that they’re more like friends. Apparently, Tilups has previously been employed at Jill & the Beanstalk toy store. His employment there was for a period of more than 6 years.
However, the future of their friendship may be uncertain due to the anticipated increase in store operational expenses for Rochon resulting from new US tariffs and Canada’s proposed dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs. Rochon may end up without a choice but to lay off Tilups besides other staff members.
Rochon told CTV News on Sunday, 23 August, that if she had to let them go, she might do so. She added that she feels strongly for them. So, I’ll have a challenging time doing so, although I may have to let the staff go if they come up with that shortfall.
According to an analysis conducted by University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe, roughly 87,000 Canadian jobs may be at risk due to the U.S.’ new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods. Tombe had spent hours calculating Statistics Canada’s input-output numbers.
Tombe added that if Canada assumes these tariffs will remain in place for some time, what it effectively means is that Americans may be purchasing fewer of the tariffed items from Canadian producers. This may mean less output in Canada, in turn leading to less employment in those exporting enterprises.
Tombe’s analysis estimates that approximately 52,000 jobs are directly at risk. This is while indirect effects on Canadian suppliers and service providers may put an additional 35,000 jobs at risk.
The hardest-hit provinces for job losses are Ontario (36,100), Quebec (18,300) & B.C. (11,200). This is whilst the industries set to have the highest number of job losses are machinery, electronics, and plastics besides rubber.
