Education, Skills and Labour Market - Op Eds

Published in the Toronto Star

October 1 could have been a celebratory day for Ontarians concerned with the struggles of low-income residents. After all, it’s the day the minimum wage will nudge up – following behind inflation, sure – but up nonetheless. But if you’re living on Ontario Works, or what used to be called welfare, the date will carry a more bitter significance. It will have been a full six years since any increase in the amounts for basic needs and shelter.

In that time, inflation has worked its ugly powers and the price of everything has gone up. There has been a 20-per-cent hike in the cost of living for the typical Ontario family, hitting the basics like food and housing especially hard.

If you happen to…

Published in The Globe and Mail

Millions of Canadians and hundreds of thousands of businesses were relieved to hear that on Saturday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) had ordered the country’s two major national railways, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, to resume services, and for their workers to return to their jobs. At the same time, it sent their contract disputes to binding arbitration.

This decision, taken at the behest of Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon, came after lockouts by the two companies last week, and strikes called by members of the Teamsters union.

The CIRB had ruled earlier this month that the rail transport of commodities is not an essential service – not resulting in…

Published in the Financial Post

Governments often talk about “creating jobs,” but what they really do is choose some jobs at the expense of others. With their myriad spending, taxing and regulatory decisions, all governments try to direct job growth to different sectors — public or private, services or goods, resources or non-resources, and so on.

We all hope governments choose wisely. It would help if they started paying more explicit attention to one factor: the impact of their decisions on Canadians’ standard of living.

A country’s standard of living is largely determined by the wages and net government revenue its tradeable goods and services sector can pay while remaining competitive against international…

Published in The Globe and Mail. 

Since 1985, U.S. labour productivity has grown by roughly 100 per cent. In sharp contrast, labour productivity in Canada grew by only 40 per cent. Canadian workers are now only 70 per cent as productive as U.S. workers. And we’re not just falling behind the U.S. – the growth rate of our productivity is well below that of the U.K., Germany and France.

Economists have long been aware of our productivity malaise, but we need a broader audience. Public support can help solve the problem, and this requires showing Canadians how productivity gains improve their lives.

To see the benefits of higher productivity, consider the following example: Suppose a firm with 100 workers produces 100…

Published in TVO. 

Despite bold promises and billions of dollars of support, Ontario manufacturing jobs remain around the same level as when Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives came to power. The province needs to move past the nostalgic view of the manufacturing sector and instead focus on an economy based on innovation and advanced technologies so it can thrive in an ever-changing global economy.

Manufacturing jobs hold a special place in Ontario’s economic, social, and political mindset because of the historical role the sector has played in driving growth, jobs, and prosperity. The sector has provided jobs across the province since the early days of industrialization in the 19th century, offering opportunities for…