This is what emerges from the data published by Statistics Canada on newly opened and recently closed businesses.
Thus, in July 2021, there were 3,608 active businesses in the Sagueni Census Metropolitan District (CMA), compared to 3,417 at the height of the pandemic, in May 2020. The district had 3,693 active businesses in July 2019.
In addition to Saguenay, the RMR It also includes the municipalities of Saint-David-de-Falardeau, Saint-Félix-d’Otis, Saint-Honoré, Saint-Fulgence, Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, Saint-Charles-de-Bourget and Larouche.
On the other hand, a slight decrease was measured from April to July of this year by about thirty less active companies.
increase in Quebec
While Saguenay is still showing a decrease compared to two years ago, Quebec shows an increase of about 1,000 more companies between July 2019 and July 2021 (from 192,824 to 194,007).
Besides these numbers, the number of newly closed businesses increased from 221 in April 2020 to 95 in July 2021.
For these accounts, a company is considered active when it has at least one employee.
July is the last available month.
Quebec on hiatus
Remember that Quebec was halted at the end of March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. Non-essential businesses had to close their doors.
Several wage support and rental assistance programs have emerged to help businesses, as well as direct assistance to individuals, such as the Canada Emergency Benefit (CEP). Moreover, the program that replaced the file PCU, Canada’s Economic Stimulus Benefits Program (PCRE) ended Saturday to make way for targeted aid to some of the hardest-hit sectors.
To access this data, Statistics Canada uses the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) payroll deduction files associated with businesses and organizations registered with the Trade Registry.