Search

Search results

1. Banning temporary workers hurts workers by reducing wages and jobs

   In recent years, British Columbia has enjoyed comparatively strong economic performance, but a number of provincial government policies continue to hold back the economy, preventing British Columbians from enjoying even greater ...

2. Raising the minimum wage is not the right policy to help struggling families

   Appeared in the Vancouver Sun The B.C. government recently announced it will increase the minimum wage in September to $10.45 per hour. Thereafter, annual increases will be automatically pegged at the rate of inflation. Shortly after the announcement, ...

3. Government workers in B.C. make more, receive better pensions, and retire earlier than private sector workers in similar positions

   Appeared in the Windsor Star With declining energy prices and a vulnerable economy, the provincial and various municipal governments in British Columbia are facing important fiscal challenges. This warrants a sober review of government spending and an ...

4. Comparing Government and Private Sector Compensation in British Columbia

   With heightened interest in how wages and non-wage benefits in the government sector compare with those in the private sector, this study estimates wage differentials between the government and private sector in British Columbia. It also evaluates four ...

5. Worker Choice for British Columbians: Gaining an Advantage

   Appeared in the Vancouver Sun   As labour and capital have become more and more mobile, jurisdictional competitiveness is becoming more important in securing and maintaining economic prosperity. A minimum requirement is to have taxes, regulations, and ...

6. The compensation gap; why it pays to be a government worker in BC

   Appeared in the Business Examiner More than three years after the end of the recession and British Columbia’s provincial government continues to struggle with deficits, which as of the last quarterly update will likely exceed $1.5 billion. Relying on ...

7. BC Family Day will cost BC families

   Appeared in Business in Vancouver As we approach what would have been the 100th birthday of Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman, I am reminded of his common sense thinking. “There is no such thing as a free lunch,” he once famously remarked.  ...

8. Estimating the Economic Impact of British Columbia's Minimum Wage Increase

   On March 16, 2011, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark announced her first major policy change, a $2.25 (28.1%) increase to BC?s current $8.00 per hour minimum wage. Controversy surrounds minimum wages because of the tension between well-intentioned ...