Peter Hicks – The Pandemic Opportunity For Better Well-being Data
From: Peter Hicks To: The Office of the Prime Minister Date: October 9, 2020 Subject: The Pandemic Opportunity for Better Well-being Data The federal government agenda during this parliamentary session will be focused on managing the pandemic and putting ‘new normal’ programs in place. There should also be a place for lower profile action to […] Alberta can help jump-start its economy with three simple words: Come on in – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Governments across Canada are still coming to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic, but looking toward recovery all the same. For Alberta, this is a uniquely challenging endeavour. Oil prices remain low, and may stay there for some time. But there are options, and one stands out: making it easier for skilled individuals to move in.
Ensuring Alberta is as open as possible to the best talent from across Canada and abroad to exercise their profession, ply their trade or conduct their business can help boost the province’s economy. Not all moves make sense, but there are artificial regulatory barriers currently deterring some potential migrants from helping build Alberta’s economy. Those should be lifted.
It may seem strange, at a…
Tammy Schirle – Unemployment In The 21st Century
From: Tammy Schirle To: Employment Insurance Policymakers Date: October 7, 2020 Re: Unemployment in the 21st Century “This pandemic has shown that Canada needs an EI system for the 21st century, including for the self-employed and those in the gig economy.” – Speech from the Throne, September 23, 2020 The fact that a large number of Canadians lack a […] The Ins And Outs Of Interprovincial Flows
Trevor Tombe and Daniel Schwanen’s new paper outlined the ways in which Alberta (and Canada generally) could benefit by reducing obstacles to internal migration and labour mobility. Along the way, they included these two fascinating charts that portray the movement of people into and out of Alberta and the interprovincial flows for the whole nation. Alberta’s Opportunity: The Ins, Outs and Benefits of Greater Job Mobility
Alberta Should Fight Downturn with Greater Job Mobility Alberta should open its doors to job seekers with labour mobility reforms that will boost its economic fortunes post-COVID. Authors Trevor Tombe and Daniel Schwanen quantify the potential gains of easing labour mobility barriers across occupations, sectors and regions, and explore how making it easier for people […] Stéphanie Lluis – Consequences Of The High Ei Benefits Floor (ii)
From: Stéphanie Lluis To: Canadians Concerned about the State of the Labour Market Date: September 18, 2020 Re: Consequences of the high EI benefits floor (II) My memo yesterday showed that Ottawa’s recently expanded Employment Insurance (EI) program with a benefit floor of $400 per week will mean replacement income of more than 200 percent for some part-time […] Jennifer Robson – Is This As Good As It Gets Until We Get Back To “normal”?
From: Jennifer Robson To: Canadians concerned about the recovery Date: September 11, 2020 Re: Is this as good as it gets until we get back to “normal”? Like most countries battling COVID-19, Canada went from the economic equivalent of a medically induced coma to a transitional phase. We have tried to regain as many economic […] Morley Gunderson – Labour Policies For Novel Shocks Such As Covid-19
From: Morley Gunderson To: Canadian Policymakers Date: September 9, 2020 Re: Labour Policies for Novel Shocks such as COVID-19 Novel and one-off shocks like COVID-19 generally involve uncharted terrain with little or no precedence or evaluation studies to guide policymaking. Policymakers must decide quickly the balance between using existing policies with modifications (such as exemptions for eligibility and […] Blit, Jin, Skuterud – Re-opening And Re-closing The Economy Strategically
From: Joel Blit, Chuanmo Jin and Mikal Skuterud To: Canadians Concerned About the Economy Date: August 21, 2020 Re: Re-opening and Re-closing the Economy Strategically In the relative calm between waves of COVID-19, policymakers are facing pressure to shift their focus from efforts to control the virus, towards ways to revive the economy. But the biggest determinant […] Schirle, Skuterud – Job Search, New Jobs, And What It Means For Future Policy
From: Tammy Schirle and Mikal Skuterud To: Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance Date: August 12, 2020 Re: Job search, new jobs, and what it means for future policy It is now widely recognized that the economic burden of COVID-19 shutdowns in March and April overwhelmingly fell on Canada’s lowest-wage workers. Between February and April, aggregate […] Richards, Mahboubi – Canada Has Three Other Education Problems In Addition To Teaching During The Pandemic
From: John Richards and Parisa Mahboubi To: Provincial Ministers of Education Date: August 10, 2020 Re: Canada Has Three Other Education Problems in Addition to Teaching During the Pandemic Once provincial governments, parents, and teachers decide how best to teach kids during the pandemic, here are three other problems to tackle. Although Canada continues to rank among the […] David Johnson – Teaching With Covid Restrictions In Elementary Schools: What Can Be Done?
From: David Johnson To: Canadians concerned about school re-openings Date: August 7, 2020 Re: Teaching with COVID Restrictions in Elementary Schools: What Can Be Done? Last week, the Ontario government announced a plan to reopen elementary schools. Its plan requires very little additional spending, operates within the existing school day and space, operates exactly within existing collective agreements and, […]