Thinking about Minimum Wage Increases in Alberta: Theoretically, Empirically, and Regionally
After weighing the lessons of economic theory and real-world experience, a leading Alberta economist, Joseph Marchand, concludes that Alberta’s move to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2018 could lead to the loss of roughly 25,000 jobs. In a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute, Thinking about Minimum Wage Increases in […] Busby And Mahboubi – Let’s Close The Skills Gaps Between Indigenous People And Non-indigenous Canadians
To: Provincial ministers of education; provincial ministers of postsecondary education From: Colin Busby and Parisa Mahboubi Date: September 26, 2017 RE: Let’s Close the Skills Gaps between Indigenous People and Non-Indigenous Canadians Skills development among Indigenous people is central to reducing the high rates of labour market withdrawal and unemployment, as well as the relatively […] Closing the Divide: Progress and Challenges in Adult Skills Development among Indigenous Peoples
Closing the skills gap between working-age Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians is essential for the economic success of Canada’s Indigenous peoples, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Closing the Divide: Progress and Challenges in Adult Skills Development among Indigenous Peoples,” authors Parisa Mahboubi and Colin Busby find both progress and challenges in […] When will Ontario break the cycle that is failing its math students?: Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office’s 2016/2017 results released this week show that for the second year in a row, only 50 per cent of Grade 6 students met the provincial math standard, compared with 61 per cent ten years ago. It is important to reverse this trend since early achievement in math is a strong predictor of later success in math and future career options.
Another concerning point to emerge from the EQAO tests is that the percentage of students who met the math standard in Grade 3 but did not do so in Grade 6 has increased. This suggests that students are not being well-prepared in lower grades to handle more difficult math concepts. Mathematics is extremely cumulative in nature. A student cannot…
John Richards – A Back to School Wake-up Call
From: John Richards To: Concerned Canadians Date: August 31, 2017 Re: A Back to School Wake-up Call In an industrial age, whether a country educates its children well is perhaps the most important determinant of whether the next generation will be prosperous or poor, whether income inequality will be high or low. Good schools are […] Red Flags for Educators: Lessons for Canada in the PISA Results
As students prepare for return to school, educators and parents in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the four Atlantic provinces should be concerned about their student test scores, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In Red Flags for Educators: Lessons for Canada in the PISA Results, author John Richards notes that, for reading, […] Finnie, Mueller, and Sweetman – The Cultural Determinants of Access to Higher Education
From: Ross Finnie, Richard E. Mueller, and Arthur Sweetman To: Provincial Ministers of Education and Immigration; Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Date: August 25, 2017 Re: The Cultural Determinants of Access to Higher Education A widely held belief in Canada is that expanded access to post-secondary education is integral to improving national productivity. […] Wyonch and Busby – The Great Minimum Wage Debate: How to Balance Good Intentions and Evidence
From: Rosalie Wyonch and Colin Busby To: The Ontario Minister of Labour, Kevin Flynn; and Concerned Ontarians Date: July 11, 2017 Re: The Great Minimum Wage Debate: How to Balance Good Intentions and Evidence The prospect of a $15 per hour minimum wage in Ontario, as of January 1, 2019, has set off heated debate […] Evidence shows immigrants will get fewer jobs as Ontario ratchets up minimum wage to $15: Financial Post Op-Ed
Ontario’s proposed 20.6-per-cent increase in the minimum wage from $11.60 in October to $14 on January 2018 is the largest dollar hike in any Canadian province over the past two decades. By Jan. 1, 2019, the minimum wage is scheduled to reach $15. Poverty advocates argue many low-income households will benefit. But they should also take a close look at the Canadian evidence that shows that minimum-wage hikes will lead to fewer jobs for immigrants.
Much of the current Ontario debate has focused on either U.S.-based research or the experience in some specific cities. Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said that wage increases in San Francisco and Seattle led to increasing employment in those areas. The most recent data…
Parisa Mahboubi – Canada Can Do More in Race for Skilled Workers
From: Parisa Mahboubi To: Concerned Canadians Date: June 12, 2017 Re: Canada Can Do More in Race for Skilled Workers A number of global destinations are tightening immigration and temporary foreign workers controls. This presents Canada with the opportunity to get more out of the world’s mobile skilled workforce. The new Global Skills Strategy seems […] Bill Robson on BNN – From Cirque du Soleil to software providers, Canada needs foreign workers
There are industries that you might not think need foreign workers, but the demand is widespread. BNN speaks with President & CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute Bill Robson about why Canada’s Global Talent Stream program looks promising.
Parisa Mahboubi – Most Vulnerable Workers Will Feel The Brunt of Employment Changes
From: Parisa Mahboubi To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario Date: June 8, 2017 Re: Proposed changes to employment standards In response to changes in the workplace over the past 30 years, Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced several proposed changes to Ontario’s employment standards legislation. What is less clear, however, is whether these new rules […]