The most telling statistic to emerge from the new census was the revelation that for the first time in Canadian history the proportion of the population living west of Ontario is greater than that living to the east.
The balance of power has shifted and that trend will continue as long as the commodity-driven economy in western Canada draws new immigrants and people from other regions of Canada.
Yet, despite the arresting development in the west (Alberta has grown 10.8% since 2006), there are still not enough people to fill all the jobs there, particularly in the skilled trades. To take just a few examples: the mining industry will need 100,000 workers in the next eight years; 150,000 construction workers will retire in the next three years; welders are needed in British Columbia; and even retailers and hoteliers are worried they can’t fill positions.
At the same time, there are parts of the country where the economy has stagnated and the unemployment rate is over 15%.
This is a country of jobs without people to fill them and, at the same time, people without jobs. Government policy is making the situation worse.
Source:
Western Canada jobs being killed by outdated federal policies: John Ivison | Full Comment | National Post
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
