Alberta’s consumers, businesses and governments were responsible for $31.4 billion of Ontario’s total interprovincial trade in 2016 alone
By Mark Milke and Ven Venkatachalam Canadian Energy Centre “All politics is local,” as 1980s-era U.S. House of Representatives leader Tip O’Neill put it. O’Neill’s point was straightforward: Voters care about what affects them. That, naturally, is where politicians then aim their promises and rhetoric. What’s true in politics is also true of the economy:…
Why on Earth has Canada not been able to change the number of women entering and progressing in skilled trades careers or associated apprenticeship programs? We’ve been talking about this subject for too long. For many women who trailblazed and pushed their way into skilled trades jobs over the last decades, it must feel exhausting.…
Hiring and on-boarding new employees is costly. Less staff turnover means your organization will reap considerable rewards
Last week, I called my local credit union about my account. The phone was answered by Phil, who I knew as a long-term employee of the credit union. Over the years, I’ve gone into the branch on a regular basis. Phil would always be serving her customers in a caring manner, greeting people by name…
In Canada’s highly diversified economy, pushing for a one-size-fits-all solution is a fool’s errand
By Paz Gomez Frontier Centre for Public Policy The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a wave of demands to fix every inconvenience of life by government decree. The four-day work week, an old darling of social engineers, has made a comeback as governments pick up the pieces of locked-down economies. On June 15, the rural…
A narrow focus on the green/clean sector won’t get the job done. The sector is too small and the workforce’s skill set doesn't suit the goals
By Jock Finlayson and Denise Mullen Business Council of B.C. After the shock Canadians have experienced in 2020, an economic recovery that focuses on jobs, incomes and business growth is much more important than whether it’s ‘green’ or some other colour. However, in Canadian politics these days green invariably symbolizes good. Never mind that green…
Offer to do what needs to be done on a contract basis. Since there’s no long-term commitment, it’s easier for the employer to agree
Summer ends, September approaches. Schools may be opening or closing or something in between – even though the ads for back-to-school sales have been conspicuously fewer than usual. As the days shorten, our thoughts reluctantly turn from beaches, picnics and holidays to getting back to work. Perhaps you, like so many others, are out of…
As the system increases in generosity and accessibility in Atlantic Canada, it may perpetuate the nation’s problems with EI
By Alex Whalen and Fred McMahon The Fraser Institute The spike in unemployment across Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered changes in the employment insurance (EI) program. And those changes could lead to significant problems. When unemployment grows in any of the country’s 62 EI regions, eligibility and benefits change along with it.…
Seven in 10 charities report lower revenues. As a whole, the sector has had to lay off 84,000 full- and part-time staff in Canada
The pandemic hasn’t been all bad for us. For some Canadians, it’s actually meant a bit of a financial boon. That’s not to say there haven’t been massive job losses and income losses. It’s just that the losses have happened unequally. The poorest and the youngest took the worst hit. When think-tank Cardus analyzed the…
By reducing business profits, unionization ultimately makes workers worse off, diminishing employment and wages
A recent story in The Monitor – a magazine published by the left-wing, union-friendly think-tank Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – provides an important lesson in basic economics. The headline triumphantly proclaims: “Gig workers win the right to unionize.” The end result was unfortunate for the workers, however. An editor’s note at the top of…
The gap between expectations and existing policy is wide. Closing that gap will cost thousands of jobs and devastate whole economic sectors
By Mark Milke and Lennie Kaplan Canadian Energy Centre Aspirations are important in life but it’s always helpful to be clear on the means to the desired end, especially if others are involved. A case in point: General commitments by governments in Canada to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2030, i.e., the Paris commitment. In…
By Mark Milke and Ven Venkatachalam Canadian Energy Centre “All politics is local,” as 1980s-era U.S. House of Representatives leader Tip O’Neill put it. O’Neill’s point was straightforward: Voters care about what affects them. That, naturally, is where politicians then aim their promises and rhetoric. What’s true in politics is also true of the economy:…
