Almost 1.5 million Canadians are out of work. While there has been much discussion about the problem, solutions have proven elusive. Canadian governments appear to be ignoring the international experience and the potential solutions it provides.
Empirical evidence from around the world suggests that nations with more flexible labour markets have higher economic growth and better job creation records.
Some jurisdictions, including Britain, New Zealand, and 21 American states, have liberalized their labour markets such that any person can get a job with any willing employer without having to join or pay union dues to an exclusive bargaining agent or union.
Unions and Right-to-Work Laws: The Global Evidence of Their Impact on Employment documents the impact of liberalizing labour markets on investment, productivity, profitability, and job growth. It also provides guidelines for enacting labour market reform in Canada.
The labour market reforms recommended in this book reflect the experience of countries with some of the best job creation records. Unless some of the rigidities in Canada's labour market are eliminated, high levels of unemployment will become a permanent feature of the Canadian economic landscape.
