Labour Policy

Economic Recovery in Canada before and after COVID: Job Growth in the Government and Private Sectors

— Oct 22, 2024

Economic Recovery in Canada before and after COVID: Job Growth in the Government and Private Sectors finds that historically, no other recent era of recession and recovery in Canada have been so dominated by government sector job growth compared to private sector job growth, with 8 out of 10 provinces' government sector growth exceeding that of the private sector.

Our Incomes Are Falling Behind: Earnings in the Canadian Provinces and US States, 2010–2022

— Oct 3, 2024

Our Incomes Are Falling Behind: Earnings in the Canadian Provinces and U.S. States, 2010-2022 finds that the median employment earnings—wages, salaries and self-employment income—of workers were lower in every Canadian province than in every state in the United States.

A Comparative Analysis of the Economic Performance of Canada and Its OECD Competitors, 2007–2019

— Aug 7, 2024

A Comparative Analysis of the Economic Performance of Canada and Its OECD Competitors, 2007-2019 finds that over the last business cycle (2007 to 2019), and long before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Canada was already underperforming other advanced countries on important investment, employment and productivity measures that are key to higher living standards.

We're Getting Poorer: GDP per Capita in Canada and the OECD, 2002-2060

— Jul 23, 2024

We’re getting poorer: GDP per Capita in Canada and the OECD, 2002 - 2060 is a new study that finds Canada had the third-lowest growth in GDP per person—a broad measure of living standards—from 2014 to 2022 among 30 advanced economies in the OECD.

Recent Trends in Youth Employment

— Jun 27, 2024

Recent Trends in Youth Employment finds that the median number of weekly hours worked by young Canadians (aged 15-24) has fallen 16.3 per cent since 1989 and youth employment rates remain below 1980s levels.

Comparing Employment Income in Toronto and Selected American Metropolitan Areas

— Feb 15, 2024

Comparing Employment Income in Toronto and Selected American Metropolitan Areas is a new study that compares median employment income in Toronto and US metropolitan areas, and finds that the annual gap in employment income between Toronto and the lowest ranking large US metropolitan area, Miami, was $2,030 in 2019, while the difference between Toronto and the highest-ranking US metro, San Francisco, was $32,765.

Recent Labour Policy Commentaries and Blog Posts

More government interventions hamper capitalism

Philip Cross

Appeared in the Financial Post, October 11, 2024

Government programs falter because of bad management, political meddling, and a workforce that serves its own interests.

Median wages and salaries lower in every Canadian province than in every U.S. state

Alex Whalen, Lawrence Schembri, Joel Emes

Appeared in the Epoch Times, October 3, 2024

This growing divergence in employment earnings has significant ramifications for the Canadian economy.

Federal government should listen to Canadians and trim the bureaucracy

Jake Fuss, Grady Munro

Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, October 2, 2024

From 2015 to March 2024, the number of federal employees grew from 257,034 to 367,772.

Canada’s federal bureaucracy expanding rapidly at your expense

Matthew Lau

Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, August 29, 2024

Since 2015, the number of employees at the federal department for Women and Gender Equality increased by 382 per cent.

Canada’s dismal growth prospects should raise alarm bells in New Brunswick

Alex Whalen

Appeared in the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, August 12, 2024

The province's per-person GDP trailed the Canadian average by more than $10,000.

Canada living standards falling behind rest of developed world

Alex Whalen, Milagros Palacios, Lawrence Schembri

Appeared in the Hub, July 29, 2024

Canada’s GDP per person increased by $1,325 during this period compared to the OECD average increase of $5,070.

Estonia’s solution to Canada’s stagnating economic growth

Callum MacLeod, Jake Fuss

Canada’s personal income and business tax rates are uncompetitive compared to other advanced economies.

Ontario’s future as dynamic economy in doubt—if employment trends continue

Livio Di Matteo

A drop in self-employment means a drop in the number of small businesses and a decline in entrepreneurship.

B.C.’s minimum wage hike hurts workers

Tegan Hill

Appeared in Business in Vancouver, June 17, 2024

When the cost of labour increases, employers tend to hire fewer workers.

Federal politicians of all stripes protect union workers at expense of other workers

Matthew Lau

Appeared in the National Post, June 7, 2024

The ban will increase labour costs and discourage entrepreneurs and investors from investing and doing business.

Labour Policy Research Experts

Jason Clemens

Executive Vice President, Fraser Institute
Hugh MacIntyre

Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute
Matthew D. Mitchell

Senior Fellow in the Centre for Economic Freedom, Fraser Institute
Niels Veldhuis

President, Fraser Institute

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