Statistics Canada said Friday the economy lost 63,000 jobs while the unemployment rate edged up to 8.6 percent compared with 8.5 percent in November.

A report prepared by The Conference Board of Canada found that the industry is significantly lacking in skills such as critical thinking and emotional intelligence that are essential for closing communication gaps among workers from different generations and varying backgrounds.

Two dozen workers on the Toronto light rail project have tested positive for the virus; a further 70 have been forced to self-isolate as a result. Meanwhile, the project’s completion date looks increasingly unlikely.

Presenters Dan Leduc from Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and Maged Abdelsayed of Deloitte will discuss contractors’ entitlement to and calculation of claims arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new CCDC 2 updates the standard form contract to catch up with recent prompt payment and adjudication changes in Ontario (and soon other provinces). It also introduces a number of other changes to both reflect more recent trends in contracting and to otherwise streamline the contract.