Clik here to view.
Welcome to the Wageless Recovery
The Harper government likes to remind Canadians that we’ve done better than most developed nations in bouncing back from the global economic crisis. But digging into the data shows why many people...
View ArticleStagnant economy may mean more cuts to come
The federal government released its annual fall update on the country’s finances today. Despite the upbeat messaging around the “Update of Economic and Fiscal Projections” there are concerning...
View ArticleImplementing Budget 2012: No Rest for Women
The current government’s economic policies, being rolled out in a series of omnibus bills and ‘administrative changes,’ come at a high price to women. These policies do not create jobs in industries...
View ArticleMarc’s Enbridge Testimony
Testimony to the Joint Review Panel on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project By Marc Lee, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives January 16, 2013 My name is Marc Lee, and I have served as an economist...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why gender equality will make you rich and popular
Closing the gender gap would transform the world we live in–for men, for women, for the better. Just imagine a world in which you have more time to spend doing the things you love, with the people you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Shoes and a Haircut: Budget 2013 not so pretty for women in Canada
The Finance Minister got a new pair of shoes. Canadians got a new federal budget. And women in Canada got another haircut. Budget 2013 is all about Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! And who wouldn’t like a job. Maybe...
View ArticleBuild a Better Nova Scotia: the Alternative Provincial Budget shows the way
The Nova Scotia provincial government is set to introduce its promised balanced budget this year. The Nova Scotia Alternative Budget, released today, proposes some concrete choices rooted in Nova...
View ArticleCrowley’s Red Hot Labour Market
Brian Lee Crowley’s latest column shows he’s a glass-half-full kinda guy. We shouldn’t be worried about unemployment because a) it’s old-fashioned, b) Boomers had it worse (and now they’re getting old)...
View ArticleNational Day of Mourning: Past Sacrifice, Present Struggle
Weekends aside, there’s still a lot to thank unions for. Maternity leave top-up. Employment Insurance. Child labour laws. Numerous studies—past, and more recent—have identified the degree to which...
View ArticleOn the Abuse of Language: “Modernizing” Labour Relations
The government of Saskatchewan is currently undertaking a controversial overhaul of the province’s labour legislation into the mammoth omnibus Bill 85. But those that might be concerned about the...
View ArticleDude, where’s my job?
The real unemployment rate for Canadians over 25 was 8.8% in April. Not great, for sure, but slightly better than it was in 2009. For youth 15-24, it was up from last April – to 20.9% – so more than 1...
View ArticleThe Great Wall Ties Chairman Calvert’s Five-Year Plan
The CCPA has released my policy brief (PDF) on Saskatchewan employment growth. It generated front-page coverage in today’s Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post business sections as well as this...
View ArticleLast Week’s Job Numbers and the Perils of Punditry
Last week, Statistics Canada released an article on changing labour market conditions for young workers since the 1980s and its monthly Labour Force Survey for June. Thursday’s article found that,...
View ArticleEI Benefits Falling Faster Than Unemployment
Statistics Canada reported today that 12,290 fewer Canadians received Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in May compared to April. EI benefits are shrinking far faster than unemployment. In percentage...
View ArticleInflation Eats Up More Than Half of Wage Gains
Today, Statistics Canada reported an inflation rate of 1.2% for June, validating the Bank of Canada’s recent decision to keep interest rates low for the foreseeable future. The rationale to raise...
View ArticleAverage Weekly Earnings: Wages vs. Hours & Salaries
Today, Statistics Canada reported a seemingly impressive monthly rise of 0.9% in average weekly earnings, from $906.24 in April to $914.68 in May. Digging a bit deeper reveals that average weekly...
View ArticleAusterity Bites? Public-Sector Implosion Hits Canada’s Job Market
Statistics Canada reported a loss of 39,000 jobs in July, even as Canada’s working-age population grew by 39,000. As a result, unemployment rose and many Canadians withdrew from the labour market...
View ArticleInflation Eats Up Three-Quarters of Wage Gains
Today, Statistics Canada reported an annual inflation rate of 1.3% for July. By comparison, it reports that the average hourly wage rose by 1.8% between July 2012 and July 2013. In other words, even...
View ArticleEI, Self-Insurance or Three-Card Monte?
Monte Solberg, the former Conservative cabinet minister responsible for Employment Insurance, proposed to eliminate the program in a recent Sun Media column: An alternative would be to self-insure....
View ArticlePart-Time Growth in a “Hamster Wheel” Job Market
Today, Statistics Canada reported that employment increased in August, although two-thirds of the additional jobs were part-time positions. The part-time rate rose to 19%, its highest level in more...
View Article
