Someone once said you could teach a parrot economics if you could teach it two words – supply and demand. I’m an economist and I try not to take that too personally, but it’s true that the idea of supply and demand can be applied in many contexts with very useful results. The basic supply/demand…
In fact, as demographics shift, Canada faces chronic labour shortages
Media reports often paint a dire picture of technological change and automation, spawning a future world of massive job loss and less employment. And yet, a labour shortage – not a glut due to mass unemployment – looms in Canada thanks to retiring baby boomers and our aging population. And history suggests that when technological…
Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla talks about the role immigrants have played historically and why Canada needs them more than ever
Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla, a member of the International Bar Association, is founder of Gulamani-Abdulla & Co., Immigration Consulting. Tell me what your company is and does? Gulamani-Abdulla: Gulamani-Abdulla & Co. is an immigration consulting firm based in Calgary. It’s in its 25th year and was established by myself. The firm is focused on the client and…
We need to develop systems of hiring and monitoring our employees to ensure we have the right people
Bob was frustrated, stressed and upset. One of his key employees, Keith, had just left to start his own business and had taken another staff member with him. I wasn’t surprised. I’d been working with Bob for several months and had met Keith several times. My impression wasn’t favourable and I had discussed this with…
A CFIB report recommends that high schools and post-secondary institutions collaborate with the business community
A new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says high schools don’t adequately prepare students for the jobs of today and that’s hurting small businesses in Canada, which are facing record-high job vacancy rates and ongoing labour shortages in certain sectors. At the same time, youth unemployment rates in Canada are much higher…
Six in 10 entrepreneurs said labour shortages mean existing staff must work more, while 47% said they have had to raise wages
Worker scarcity will remain a problem for Canadian small and medium-sized businesses for at least a decade, says a new report by the Business Development Bank of Canada. The report, released on Wednesday, said 39 per cent of SMEs are struggling to find new employees. “Labour shortages are affecting growth for many Canadian businesses, and…
Skilled trades are the hardest jobs to fill, followed by sales representatives and drivers: ManpowerGroup survey
A new report by ManpowerGroup finds that 41 per cent of Canadian employers say they can’t find the skilled people they need to fill jobs. “We continue to see increasing demand for skilled workers across all sectors of the Canadian economy from trades and transport to sales,” said Darlene Minatel, country manager of ManpowerGroup Canada.…
Automation is taking over the workplace. That means our education system must adapt. So must the students seeking marketable skills
My bank machine just wished me a happy birthday. It wasn’t the exact day but it asked me: Did you think we would forget that your birthday is this month? This struck me as just one more example of automation taking over what people used to do. No biological being had yet wished me a…
Canadians are retiring in unprecedented numbers and young couples are having fewer babies. Here's how we can fill the workforce gaps
By Jock Finlayson and Kristine St.-Laurent Business Council of B.C. The latest Canadian census revealed three major population trends: we’re having fewer babies, progressively more baby boomers are transitioning into retirement and most people are living longer. Together, these trends point towards a population that’s greying faster than at any time in Canadian history. Overall, it’s a good…
The federal government's plan to substantially increase new arrivals requires close co-ordination with provincial and municipal officials
With a falling birth rate, an aging workforce and a shortage of skilled workers, Canada depends on immigration. Instead of talking about building walls like our U.S. neighbours, Canadians acknowledge that immigration is essential to our prosperity. So few dare question the official immigration policy, even as it becomes increasingly apparent that strong criticism is…