{"id":7815,"date":"2021-03-05T22:01:52","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T22:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2021\/03\/05\/canadian-businesses-still-worry-about-survival-even-as-the-pandemics-end-draws-closer\/"},"modified":"2021-03-05T22:01:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T22:01:52","slug":"canadian-businesses-still-worry-about-survival-even-as-the-pandemics-end-draws-closer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2021\/03\/05\/canadian-businesses-still-worry-about-survival-even-as-the-pandemics-end-draws-closer\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian businesses still worry about survival even as the pandemic&#8217;s end draws closer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><\/div><p> \n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<header aria-label=\"Beginning of Article\" class=\"article-header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Breadcrumb Trail Links<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"breadcrumbs__items list-unstyled\">\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> News <\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> Economy <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p class=\"article-subtitle\"> Half of businesses say they do not know how long they can keep operating at their current level of revenue <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"published-by\">\n<p>Author of the article:<\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"published-by__author\">Geoff Zochodne<\/span> <\/div><\/div>\n<figure class=\"featured-image\"><picture class=\"featured-image__ratio featured-image-category__economy\"><\/picture><figcaption class=\"featured-image__caption image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">A business in Toronto posts a sign CEBA Won\u2019t Help Us. Just over half of all businesses told StatsCan they did not know how long they could keep operating at their current level of revenue and expenses before considering bankruptcy or closing. <\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Peter J Thompson\/National Post<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Canadian businesses are still wracked with uncertainty even as the end of the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly draws nearer, with consumer demand, cash flow and future survival among their biggest concerns.<\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\">Statistics Canada on Friday reported findings from its latest survey of business conditions, which was conducted from Jan. 11 to Feb. 11, and which asked firms about their expectations over the next three months.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBusinesses are concerned with future survival and expect to face a variety of obstacles in the short term,\u201d StatsCan noted.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Three biggest worries are the blows to the economy, the debt they&#8217;ve accrued and concerns about whether customers will come back<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Among other findings, around one-third of businesses said they expected fluctuations in consumer demand or insufficient demand to be problems in the coming months,\u00a0figures that were little changed from StatsCan\u2019s previous survey of conditions in September and October.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately one-quarter of firms also said they saw rising input costs, maintaining sufficient cash flow or managing debt and finding and keeping skilled employees to be obstacles going forward. Those numbers were up slightly from the fall.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-1\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, just over half of all businesses told StatsCan they did not know how long they could keep operating at their current level of revenue and expenses before considering bankruptcy or closing. One-tenth of firms said they could continue for less than 12 months.<\/p>\n<p>When it came to layoffs, 46.4 per cent of businesses said they didn\u2019t know how long their status quo could continue before they would consider reducing staff, while 21.3 per cent reported it would take less than a year.<\/p>\n<p>StatsCan\u2019s findings show that, even with the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel growing brighter, businesses still aren\u2019t entirely sure what to expect. Moreover, the end of the pandemic could usher in its own set of unique challenges, such as larger debt burdens and changing consumer behaviour that could become permanent.<\/p>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"moreTopicLabel9338003860055258095393961153369125\" class=\"more-topic\" data-carousel-icon-button=\"\" data-carousel-type=\"list\"><button aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"more-topic__button-prev\" data-carousel-prev=\"\" tabindex=\"-1\" title=\"previous\" type=\"button\"\/><\/p>\n<ol class=\"more-topic__items list-unstyled\" data-carousel-slide-list=\"\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\"><picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"\" as=\"\" back=\"\" but=\"\" class=\"lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1\" getting=\"\" height=\"96\" hit.=\"\" improvement=\"\" in=\"\" into=\"\" labour=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" market=\"\" of=\"\" on=\"\" saw=\"\" second=\"\" some=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=192&strip=all&quality=80 2x,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/women-1.png?h=288&strip=all&quality=80 3x\" terms=\"\" the=\"\" then=\"\" time=\"\" wave=\"\" we=\"\" went=\"\" width=\"96\" women=\"\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"><span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Low-paid women have been hurt most by the recession, and they risk being left behind by the recovery <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\"><picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"The lagging vaccine rollout will have an impact on business survival, economist Trevin Stratton says.\" class=\"lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=96&strip=all&quality=80,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=192&strip=all&quality=80 2x,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vaccine-1.png?h=288&strip=all&quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"><span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Slow vaccine rollout in Canada expected to be a drag on economic recovery <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\"><picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Business Council of Canada CEO Goldy Hyder has some thoughts for the federal government on what business needs before the budget. \" class=\"lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=192&strip=all&quality=80 2x,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/toronto0203.jpg?h=288&strip=all&quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"><span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> &#8216;Let\u2019s set some moonshots\u2019: How to build business back better in Canada <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><button aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"more-topic__button-next\" data-carousel-next=\"\" tabindex=\"-1\" title=\"next\" type=\"button\"\/><\/section>\n<p>\u201cThe uncertainty remains,\u201d said Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice-president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, in an interview. \u201cThe lockdowns remain in certain parts of Canada still. Where there aren\u2019t lockdowns, there are still pretty heavy restrictions in many areas. And then with the (COVID-19) variants, and the lack of vaccinations at this point, I think the short-term outlooks are not very good.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-2\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>StatsCan\u2019s findings are pretty well aligned with what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is hearing from its members, Pohlmann said, making it important to keep government support programs, such as the federal wage subsidy, in place. Among CFIB\u2019s membership, three of the biggest worries coming out of the pandemic are the blows to the economy, the debt they\u2019ve accrued and concerns about whether customers will come back, she said.<\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\">CFIB\u2019s most recent barometer of business sentiment did see optimism improving for the coming 12 months, but attitudes for three months ahead were \u201cfairly muted,\u201d according to Pohlmann.<\/p>\n<p>StatsCan found earlier this year that 30.6 per cent of all businesses expected their sales would decline over the next three months, down from the 36.4 per cent of businesses in the fall that did not anticipate their revenues rising. Profitability in the short run is also expected to take a hit, as 41.8 per cent of companies told StatsCan for its most recent survey that they foresee their earnings shrinking.<\/p>\n<p>However, industries that have been particularly hard-hit by lockdowns and public-health restrictions, such as the restaurant business, are reporting tougher times. According to StatsCan, 49.2 per cent of businesses in accommodation and food services see their sales slipping in the near term.<\/p>\n<p>Whereas 10.3 per cent of businesses said they could keep going for less than 12 months at current revenue and spending levels before considering closure or bankruptcy, StatsCan said that for those in the accommodation and food services sector it was 24.9 per cent. Those sorts of businesses could again face disproportionate levels of pain if there is another economic setback.<\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\">\u201cIf restrictions are lifted too quickly and the spread of the virus accelerates, provinces will be left with no choice but to close parts of the economy again,\u201d Toronto-Dominion Bank economist Sri Thanabalasingam wrote this week. \u201cThis could slow the speed of the recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\"><em>\u2022 Email: gzochodne@nationalpost.com | Twitter: <a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" data-evt=\"click\" data-evt-typ=\"User Interaction Click\" data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields=\"\" source=\"\" type=\"\" name=\"\" layout=\"\" element=\"\" feed=\"\" list=\"\" id=\"\" target=\"\" url=\"\" title=\"\" story=\"\" position=\"\" vertical=\"\" pixels=\"\" link=\"\" null=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/geoffzochodne\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">GeoffZochodne<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__share-group article-delimiter\" data-evt=\"beforeunload\" data-evt-typ=\"scroll-depth\" data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields=\"\" of=\"\" page=\"\" viewed=\"\" story=\"\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Share this article in your social network<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"widget article-content__widget-group article-content__widget-group--slot1\">\n<section aria-labelledby=\"TheLogic1868961290752691858318028034484632\" class=\"feed-section feed-section--partner-story list-widget--partner-story the-logic\" data-async=\"\">\n<div class=\"widget-title widget-title--partner-story flex-align-center row row--no-padding--left row--no-padding--right\">\n<p> In-depth reporting on the innovation economy from The Logic, brought to you in partnership with the Financial Post. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"widget article-content__widget-group article-content__widget-group--slot2\">\n<section aria-labelledby=\"TopStoriesNewsletter6276244228424868348926028570681905\" class=\"newsletter-widget\" data-account-id=\"b9d3df2fccd108b5eff3c44f573b2cd6\" data-target-list=\"FP_HeadlineNews\" data-widget=\"newsletter\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-widget__body\">\n<h2 id=\"TopStoriesNewsletter6276244228424868348926028570681905\">Top Stories Newsletter<\/h2>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text\">Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the Financial Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"newsletter-widget__bottom js-form-main\">  <small> By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 <\/small> <\/div>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"hidden js-submit-success\" id=\"submitSuccessFP_HeadlineNews\">\n<h2 class=\"newsletter__feedback--heading\">Thanks for signing up!<\/h2>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text\">A welcome email is on its way. If you don&#8217;t see it please check your junk folder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text newsletter__feedback--last\">The next issue of Top Stories Newsletter will soon be in your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-widget__text newsletter__feedback--error hidden js-submit-error\" id=\"submitErrorFP_HeadlineNews\"> We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<footer aria-label=\"Article Comments\" class=\"article-footer\">\n<section class=\"comments__section\" id=\"comments\">\n<h3 class=\"widget-title comments-anchor\" id=\"comments-area\">Comments<\/h3>\n<p class=\"comments__section-disclaimer\"> Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications\u2014you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<br \/>Canadian businesses still worry about survival even as the pandemic&#8217;s end draws closer<\/a><br \/>\n<br \/>2021-03-05 22:01:52<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breadcrumb Trail Links News Economy Half of businesses say they do not know how long they can keep operating at their current level of revenue Author of the article: Geoff&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/ceba0305.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/7816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}