BC Council for Families

Just released last week by the group Citizens for Public Justice: Bearing the Brunt: How the 2008-2009 Recession Created Poverty for Canadian Families. The report details the rise in poverty and economic insecurity caused by the recession:

• BC lost 51,800 jobs between October 2008 and October 2009
• Less than half of unemployed workers in BC qualified for EI during the recession
• BC's food bank use increased 15% in 2009
• 31% of food bank users in BC are children
• The number of children receiving BC Employment and Assistance increased 25.2% during the recession. 20.8% of BCEA recipients are children