Search

Search results

1. Minimum wage hikes can hurt the people they’re supposed to help

   Recently, Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government said it will not proceed with a scheduled increase to Ontario’s minimum wage, which the previous government planned to implement next year. As a result, the minimum wage ...

2. Alberta’s higher taxes, rapid debt accumulation and higher minimum wages are hurting workers

   A strong labour market is critical for the prosperity of workers. It matches workers looking for the right job opportunity with employers looking for workers with the right skills. But to properly judge the strength of Alberta’s labour ...

3. Not fake, but misleading news on minimum wages

   CBC’s The National ran a very touching story this week about the hard choices faced by three Toronto men holding down minimum wage jobs. It was both empathetic and sympathetic. Good. We shouldn’t skimp on either for people who are worse ...

4. Upcoming minimum wage hikes threaten younger and less-skilled Ontarians

   In January, Ontario’s minimum wage will increase to $14 an hour, up from $11.60 today. In January 2019, the wage floor will increase by another dollar to $15 per hour. There are good reasons to worry that such a rapid increase in the ...

5. Want more automation? Then raise the minimum wage

   These days the phrase “rise of the machines” has taken on a new poignancy for some Canadians. Governments across Canada are giving low-skilled workers reason to worry their jobs will be replaced by machines—thanks to plans to hike the ...

6. Obstacles to business investment in Ontario—high labour costs

   A recent study by the Fraser Institute showed that weak business investment remains a serious problem for Ontario’s economy, with important implications for the province’s medium- and long-term growth prospects. While the provincial ...

7. Minimum wage hikes will hurt young people, immigrants

   Appeared in the Financial Post, Aug 2, 2017 With many of Canada’s largest provinces (Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia) either committing to or considering a minimum wage of $15 per hour, many analysts—including us—note that this policy will hurt many ...

8. The evidence mounts—minimum wage hikes reduce job opportunities for vulnerable workers

   Many Canadian provinces have expressed a desire to hike their minimum wage to $15 per hour. Alberta has begun the process with incremental increases, Ontario has formally introduced a plan, and B.C.’s new government has mused about the ...

9. Ontario’s planned $15 minimum wage will likely hurt young and low-skilled workers

   Ontario’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs is currently touring the province to get feedback on Bill 148, which proposes various amendments to the Employment Standards Act including, among other labour policy changes, a ...

10. Minimum wage hikes in Ontario likely means lower youth employment

    Premier Wynne’s government recently announced a plan to hike Ontario’s minimum wage by 32 per cent, from its current rate of $11.40 to $15 by 2019. We’ve already written that such a large and rapid increase in the minimum wage is likely ...