No. The need to broaden access and expand government contributions is urgent
The risk of recession is now in clear sight. But as the Bank of Canada pursues a course of aggressive interest rate hikes designed to wrestle inflation to the ground, the potential cost is hundreds of thousands of jobs. The August labour force survey is already revealing a worrying increase in the unemployment rate. At…
Canadian workers will pay the price of this silly political posturing
Hundreds of people who pull wrenches for a living have a unique point of view on Ottawa’s new luxury tax. Most of us might not be too bothered by a tax on super cars and private jets, and even the rich might not lose much sleep over paying a bit more for a yacht or…
It only takes resiliency, persistence, focus, empathy and curiosity
According to a Computing Technology Industry Association analysis, nearly 240,000 new tech jobs were created in the U.S. in July of this year alone. Information technology (IT) has added 143,700 jobs so far in 2022, an increase of 55 per cent year-over-year. The CompTIA now estimates the tech jobs unemployment rate at just 1.7 per…
The core technologies involved in AI are moving at breakneck speed
When we think about the next two decades, two existential questions dominate the conversation among futurists and foresight researchers. The first is whether we can prevent the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. The second is what the relationship between technology, humans, and money might look like after 20 years of advancements in artificial intelligence…
Supply chain problems, aging demographics and the push for net zero will drive up government spending
The era of low interest rates and inflation has ended, and now is the time for governments to show restraint. But recent precedent suggests that’s unlikely. Canadian year-over-year inflation hit 7.7 per cent in May, the highest in nearly 40 years, and I predict it will go still higher. Ten years ago, Parliamentary Budget Officer…
The deep divisions in Canada’s labour market have taken on heightened urgency
The onslaught of COVID-19 in March 2020 led to one of the most dramatic economic shutdowns in Canadian history. Millions of people lost their jobs – especially women working in vulnerable sectors, such as restaurants and hotels. Now that Canada has entered its post-pandemic-recession phase, many women are getting back into the paid workforce, but not…
Increasing wages works to some extent. But retraining and being a better boss will do more
There are many challenges to running a business, including getting capital, getting customers and meeting the competition. Add staffing to the list. Hiring workers used to be less difficult. Any vacancy announcement attracted many more applicants than employers were able to consider. But now, there are multiple vacancies for every able, willing and available worker.…
Our choice is clear: protect the life we love or keep electing these idiots
If there’s any point to writing about energy, it’s to perhaps try to pull together disparate bits of information that the average citizen is too busy to notice, the sort of random and arcane stats and events that only genuine weirdos devote their spare hours to. Truffle pigs find the truffles. People learning about energy…
21,000 jobs, $890 million in taxes and about $2.5 billion in annual GDP
There’s been a big step forward for a major proposed Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) project that’s seen as an opportunity for economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities and help to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Partners in the Ksi Lisims LNG project, including the Nisga’a Nation, have applied for a 40-year LNG export licence and…
Own your success, take your place at the table and power up your body language
Sandra was introduced to me as a highly successful business professional with exceptional leadership skills. She was being groomed for a top executive position and she sounded perfect for my favourite kind of coaching assignment: I love working with accomplished women who are looking to become even more effective. It should have come as a…