Labour Policy

Increasing the Minimum Wage in Ontario: A Flawed Anti-Poverty Policy

— Jun 19, 2018

Increasing the Minimum Wage in Ontario: A Flawed Anti-Poverty Policy finds that raising the minimum wage would do little to reduce poverty in Ontario because the vast majority of minimum-wage earners don’t live in low-income households. In fact, nearly 60 per cent of all minimum-wage earners in the province in 2017 were teenagers or young adults aged 15 to 24, almost all of whom (86.3 per cent) lived with their parents or other relatives.

Increasing the Minimum Wage in British Columbia: A Flawed Anti-Poverty Policy

— May 29, 2018

Increasing the Minimum Wage in British Columbia: A Flawed Anti-Poverty Policy finds that despite misperceptions, more than 80 per cent of B.C.’s minimum-wage earners don’t actually live in low-income families. In fact, last year, the majority of minimum-wage earners in the province (55.7 per cent) were teenagers or young adults aged 15 to 24, almost all of whom (77.9 per cent) lived with their parents or other relatives.

Why the Unemployment Rate is No Longer a Reliable Gauge of Labour Market Performance

— Jan 16, 2018

Why the Unemployment Rate is No Longer a Reliable Gauge of Labour Market Performance finds that, as Canada’s population ages and more and more Canadians retire and exit the workforce, the employment rate is more reflective of Canada’s labour market. Despite a drop in the unemployment rate from 2008 to 2017, due in part to the shifting demographics, the employment rate also fell from during the same time from 63.4 per cent to 61.6 per cent, indicating declining employment levels.

CEO to Worker Pay: A Broader Examination

— Jan 3, 2018

CEO to Worker Pay: A Broader Examination finds that despite sensational headlines about CEO salaries, top performers in many industries garner high levels of compensation, including sports and entertainment. For example, the NBA’s LeBron James made $77.2 million (US) in 2016, and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made $64.5 million (US). By comparison, the average compensation for the top 100 CEOs in Canada was $9.5 million.

Measuring Labour Markets in Canada and the United States: 2017 Edition

— Aug 31, 2017

Measuring Labour Markets in Canada and the United States, 2017 finds that, overall, Canadian labour markets are being outperformed by their American counterparts with all but two Canadian provinces—Saskatchewan (15th) and B.C. (17th)—ranked in the bottom half of the 60 jurisdictions on the index.

The Economic Effects of Banning Temporary Replacement Workers

— Jul 25, 2017

The Economic Effects of Banning Temporary Replacement Workers finds that prohibiting businesses from hiring temporary workers during strikes and lock-outs—as is the case in British Columbia and Quebec—discourages business investment, which in turn actually lowers union wages and costs jobs.