There have never been more businesses operating in Saskatchewan. We cracked the 25,000 mark in January.
Now, this is operating businesses and doesn’t include passive holding companies. It suggests the provincial economy is emerging from the COVID-19 lockdowns with a sense of entrepreneurship as more people think starting up a business is a solid idea.
There were roughly 100 more businesses operating in January than through much of last year. The real difference-maker was businesses able to re-open in the past year after COVID-19 lockdowns. Roughly 650 re-opened their doors and another 400 were start-ups, which more than offset the number of permanent closures.
Nationally, virtually every segment of the economy saw businesses re-opening or new start-ups. The ones that experienced a significant level of closures tended to be found in the oil and gas industry as well as the hospitality sector – tourism along with accommodation and food – where COVID-19 closures or restrictions in many provinces made it difficult to operate or even survive.
