Canada keeps making labour market mistakes by missing recession-era opportunities – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Two years ago, during a pandemic-induced recession, the unemployment rate was in double-digits and nearly three million workers lost their jobs. Yet for the job market, it seems like ages ago. Canada’s job numbers have bounced back, and with national unemployment rates hovering at all-time lows, we are suddenly confronted (again) with labour and skills shortages.
The inability of employers to find workers with the right skills to fill record-high vacancies is dampening Canada’s economic growth and competitiveness. It also affects health care access and contributes to inflationary pressure, disrupting supply chains and, more broadly, limiting our ability to make headway in raising living standards and in transitioning to a lower…
Lives Put on Hold: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canada’s Youth
Canada’s Youth Face Career “Scarring,” Learning Losses Post-Pandemic Canada’s youth face career scarring and learning losses post-pandemic, according to a new report released by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Lives Put on Hold: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canada’s Youth,” authors Parisa Mahboubi and Amira Higazy find that youth were disproportionally affected by […] O’Donnell, Skuterud – Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Data Shortage
From: Ian O’Donnell and Mikal Skuterud To: Canadians Concerned about the Labour Market Date: June 23, 2022 Re: Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Data Shortage Despite repeated policy efforts to curtail employer reliance on temporary foreign workers (TFWs), we estimate that their share of Canadian employment increased more than six-fold since 2000, reaching more than 5 percent by 2019. […] James Uguccioni – Improving Employment Insurance Benefits to Protect Children
The C.D. Howe Institute put out a call late last year for Intelligence Memos from next-generation policy leaders. The purpose of the program is to provide a platform for new or soon-to-be graduates to raise their profiles, showcase their ideas, and build their professional networks. This week we are releasing the work of the top […] Drummond, Sinclair – Why is Health Human Resource Planning Not Happening?
From: Don Drummond and Duncan Sinclair To: Canada’s Ministers of Health Date: May 26, 2022 Re: Why is Health Human Resource Planning Not Happening? Many groups have recently awakened to the need to plan ahead to ensure the supply of qualified providers to meet the changing health and healthcare needs of Canada’s population. We need to embed the use […] David R. Johnson – What Education-Testing Chant Should We Choose in 2022?
From: David R. Johnson To: Ontarians Concerned About Education Date: May 18, 2022 Re: What Education-Testing Chant Should We Choose in 2022? Two chants are on offer: “Hey Ho, Hey Ho, the EQAO must GO!” “Hey Hey, Hey Hey, the EQAO must STAY!” These chants summarize opposing views in […] Bafale, Robson – Canadian Investment in Intellectual Property Products is Too Low
To: Canada’s Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland From: Mawakina Bafale and William B.P. Robson Date: May 9, 2022 Re: Canadian Investment in Intellectual Property Products is Too Low Minister, your 2022 federal budget rightly highlighted the importance of economic growth for Canadians’ future prosperity and the fiscal health of Canadian governments. Much of the budget’s […] Luc Godbout – Pourquoi pas 75 ans?
De: Luc Godbout À: Chrystia Freeland, Ministre des Finances Date: 14 février 2022 Sujet: Pourquoi pas 75 ans? Certains changements peuvent à la fois optimiser les mécanismes des régimes de retraite tout en contribuant également à l’incitation à la prolongation de carrière. C’est particulièrement le cas pour la détermination de l’âge à laquelle les régimes enregistrés d’accumulation de […] Luc Godbout – Why Not 75 Years Old?
From: Luc Godbout To: Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance Date: February 14. 2022 Subject: Why Not 75 Years Old? Some simple changes can both optimize the mechanics of pension plans while also encouraging people to extend their working careers. The first would be adjusting the threshold age at which registered capital accumulation plans – such […] Rosalie Wyonch – What Happened to Health Workers? Data on Labour Shortages, Wages and Vacancies
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Canadians Concerned About Healthcare Date: January 21, 2022 Re: What Happened to Health Workers? Data on Labour Shortages, Wages and Vacancies Hospitals are cancelling surgeries, closing units or wards, and reports of nursing shortages abound. The situation appears dire, but it is unsurprising. Research, surveys and data showed health labour shortages before COVID-19. Throughout the […] S4 E1: The Effect of Online Learning on Student Performance with Emily Oster
Elementary school students educated primarily online during the pandemic are falling behind by as much as an entire letter grade, according to a study delivered by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Brown University Professor of Economics Emily Oster says it’s enough of an impact that policy makers need to consider student performance when making decisions on […] Halloran, Jack, Okun, Oster – The Effect of Online Learning on Student Performance: Evidence from US States
To: Canadian Ministers of Education From: Clare Halloran, Rebecca Jack, James C. Okun, and Emily Oster Re: The Effect of Online Learning on Student Performance: Evidence from US States Date: January 5, 2022 Students who spent a higher fraction of the COVID-19 pandemic receiving in-person instruction performed significantly better on standardized tests in the spring of 2021 than those […]