A wage subsidy program designed to keep people working in Canada has been extended.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that the federal government's emergency wage subsidy program will continue beyond its June endpoint.
The program pays for 75 per cent of a worker's pay, up to $847, in order to assist the employer to keep more workers on the payroll.
More details on the extension are expected to be released next week.
According to Trudeau, the $73-billion wage subsidy program is the largest economy program in Canada's history.
Trudeau says Canadians are hurting.
"Everyone has their own story, but it all boils down to a very difficult time for a lot of people,” Trudeau said.
The latest jobless figures released today found the Canadian economy lost close to two-million jobs in April 2020 because of the closure of non-essential business to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Canada's unemployment rate in April was 13 percent.