The strikes were started in August of 2018 by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. These #FridaysForFuture student strikes now take place in communities all over the world, including across Canada.

Students are asking Canada’s unions to stand with them for a Global Climate Strike, starting on Friday, September 20, and culminating with a global day of action on Friday, September 27, to coincide with the UN Secretary General’s climate summit, convening Monday, September 23.

The CLC stands in support of this important call to action.

“This climate strike marks a crucial moment,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “It is amazing to witness courageous young people across the world taking action for their own futures. Canada’s unions call on governments to commit to fighting climate change with urgency and ambition. The youth of today deserve a tomorrow.”

The global week of action marks a crucial moment, both in terms of public attention and of policy decisions.

“Unions know the only way to achieve a successful and lasting transition to environmental sustainability is to ensure that workers are part of the local, industry-wide and national plans,” said Yussuff. “With the right investments we don’t have to choose between a strong economy that works for people and a healthy planet. Canadians must tell politicians seeking our votes in October that we won’t accept anything less.”

Unions have been reaching out to policy-makers with Just Transition proposals, including Canada’s Just Transition Task Force for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities.

Actions will be taking place in communities across the country, in collaboration with youth, environmental and other groups. You can find an event in your area here. Greta Thunberg, the original #FridaysForFuture student striker, will join the rally in Montreal on September 27.

Not all workers will be able to join the marches and rallies in person, but there are many ways to demonstrate solidarity and support for this critical call to action, including showing solidarity on social media, participating in actions on your lunch break, starting a conversation about reducing emissions in your own workplace, or raising climate action with your local candidates in the federal election.

Those who do join the strikes should first speak with their union and consult relevant legislation to understand the legal implications of their actions.

There is more work to be done.

Hassan Yussuff
President

The post Canadian Labour Congress stands in solidarity with student-led Global Climate Strike appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

While unemployment rates continue to fall overall, many Canadians aged 15-29 are staying in school or giving up looking for work altogether.

In particular, the number of people aged 25 to 29 who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) has remained high since the 2008-2009 recession. This is when most Canadians have finished their formal education and should be able to find meaningful work that matches their education and training.

The Labour Market Snapshot is a quarterly report, which examines Canada’s employment landscape to spotlight trends in the economy. Analysis is based on Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Surveys.

Read the full Labour Market Snapshot here.

The post Labour Market Snapshot – Q2 2019 appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

What is “decent work”?

• Access for all workers to quality jobs, dignity, equality, and safe working conditions.

• Putting workers at the centre of development and giving them a voice in what they do.

This year’s global focus is on struggles to win living minimum wages and a pay raise for all workers.

The Canadian Labour Congress has outlined steps Canada needs to take in a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, outlining several steps the federal government can take to ensure better access to decent work at home and abroad.

“We need federal leadership on decent work, not just so that we improve work for Canadians, but so we can set an example for other countries too,” said CLC President Hassan Yussuff.

What our federal government can do

• Ensure the creation of high-quality jobs needed by millions of unemployed, underemployed, and precariously-employed workers in Canada.

• Promote and uphold collective bargaining rights at home and abroad.

• Restore the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, indexing it to wage growth, and bring back full employment as a primary policy target.

• Create public employment programs for regions and populations with high unemployment or a high concentration of low-wage workers. That should include job creation programs for youth, Indigenous and Northern communities, newcomers to Canada, Alberta and the Atlantic provinces;

• Commit to long-term funding for high-quality, public, universal, affordable child care;

• Adopt strong, proactive pay equity legislation incorporating the recommendations of the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force;

• Use all available tools to eliminate discrimination in hiring, promotion, and pay, including strengthening the Employment Equity Act and the Federal Contractors Program;

• Introduce paid sick leave and paid leave for victims of domestic violence for workers in the federal jurisdiction, and encourage provinces and territories to follow suit;

• End the systematic violation of migrant workers’ rights by abolishing tied work permits and implementing a proactive compliance assessment and enforcement regime;

• Promote fairness by tightening regulations on hours of work and scheduling;

• Increase staffing, training and resources for federal employment standards and health and safety inspectors; and

• Improve the Wage Earner Protection Program to better protect wages when employers go bankrupt or simply disappear.

Canada’s unions are also asking the federal government to promote decent work in global supply chains and the extractive sectors by:

• Appointing a human rights ombudsperson to investigate how Canadian companies’ foreign operations impact human rights;

• Introducing national due diligence legislation with a monitoring mechanism and an enforcement procedure for large companies.

The post October 7 is the World Day for Decent Work appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“Raising the minimum wage to $15 will support millions of Ontario workers – thirty percent of the province – who are currently earning less than that and struggling to afford basic necessities like rent, transportation, and groceries,” said Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff.

Unions also celebrated the announced changes to the Employment Standards Act to make it easier for workers to balance work and family commitments, and make ends meet, including:

• Equal pay for equal work protections for part-time workers;
• Fairer rules for scheduling, including a new regulation that will require employers to pay an employee for three hours of work if their shift is cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice;
• Access to 10 days of Personal Emergency Leave per year (two paid); and
• Three weeks of paid vacation (up from two) after five years with one employer.

“The Ontario economy is strong and these changes will only make it stronger by supporting workers and their families to make ends meet, decreasing turnover, and increasing productivity,” said Yussuff.

However, Yussuff said there are still areas for improvement. For example, unions had pushed for shifts to be scheduled two weeks in advance, access to paid vacation to start sooner, and better paid time off for workers experiencing domestic violence.

Unions had also hoped the changes would go further to reform the province’s Labour Relations Act. Today’s announcement commits to extending card-check certification to three particularly vulnerable sectors – the temporary help agency industry, the building services sector, and home care and community services – but still leaves other workers open to employer intimidation during a union certification drive.

“There is still work to do, but we’re pleased with the changes announced today and hope this begins a process of further improvements for Ontario workers and their families,” Yussuff said.

The post $15 minimum wage and fairer employment coming to Ontario appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“Today’s Changing Workplaces Review report acknowledges many of the key issues facing today’s workers, like unpredictable hours, job misclassification and barriers to joining a union,” said CLC President Hassan Yussuff. “However, the recommendations fall far short of what is needed to ensure fairness for all workers in Ontario.”

The CLC and other workers’ advocates were pleased to see the report recommend extending successorship rights in sectors such as home care, and broadening the right to unionize to new groups of workers, including agricultural workers. However, Yussuff said the CLC was particularly disappointed to see the report’s failure to recommend a minimum wage increase, basic access to unpaid sick days, or establishment of a card-check certification process to allow workers to unionize free from potential employer intimidation.

“Working people – particularly women, young workers and racialized workers – have been left behind as workplaces change. Now we have a chance to do the right thing and raise the bar for all workers. We must not squander this historic opportunity,” Yussuff said.

The Canadian Labour Congress is also urging other provinces to follow Ontario’s lead by reviewing and significantly reforming their own labour and employment standards to better protect all workers.

“Many of the issues faced by precarious workers in Ontario are issues we’re seeing across Canada. Ontario’s response to this report needs to be an ambitious roadmap that leads other provinces in the right direction to ensure fairness for all workers,” said Yussuff.

The post Ontario must seize the opportunity to make our changing workplaces fair appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

October 7th, the international Day for Decent Work, is an opportunity for all workers to reflect on our current situation and call for better jobs.

Here in Canada, unions say there are clear priorities: a $15/hour minimum wage, both provincially and federally, and an end to insecure working conditions.

“Too many new jobs in Canada are low-wage, insecure and part-time. Here in Canada, we can do better,” said Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff. “A first step is a $15 minimum wage, because nobody working full-time hours should be living below the poverty line.”

Across Canada, the cost of living is rising much faster than minimum wage rates. That means every year gets harder for the 25 percent of all workers – some four million people – who earn $15 or less. Women and racialized Canadians are disproportionately represented in this group.

As for young workers, despite being the most educated generation in history, their unemployment rate is consistently double that of core-age workers. When they do find work, there’s a good chance it’s precarious – today, almost a third of young workers are in temporary jobs.

That’s why Canada’s unions are also advocating for better employment standards – like access to paid sick days and predictable scheduling – for all workers, including those stuck in temporary jobs.

“It’s about fairness. If we can reduce inequality and make everyday life a little easier for workers and their families, that has to be a priority,” said Yussuff.

“Instead of forcing workers into a race to the bottom, governments at every level should be doing more to make work fair for everyone,” Yussuff added.

The post Let’s make decent work a reality for all Canadians appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

In Diving without a parachute: Young Canadians versus a precarious economy – released today – the CLC breaks down some of the challenges and opportunities currently facing young workers in Canada.

“Young workers are dealing with exceptionally high rates of unemployment or underemployment, and have been for many years. They are also carrying unbelievably high levels of student debt; the average student graduates owing over $25,000. We are not setting young people up for success,” said CLC president Hassan Yussuff.

“This perfectly demonstrates the importance of a national jobs strategy, a $15 minimum wage and the expansion of the CPP. Young workers will benefit from these measures,” Yussuff added.

Diving without a parachute celebrates millennials as one of the most civic-minded and activist generations in history, and shows that union density among young workers is on the rise.

Later this year, the CLC is hosting a National Young Workers’ Summit which will bring together hundreds of young workers and activists from across the country to discuss among other issues precarious work, income inequality, and the need for a just transition to a clean energy economy.

“Young workers are a politically-conscious group and increasingly active in their unions. Their leadership in workplaces and unions will shape the future of work and how we respond to the precarious economy,” said Yussuff.

Diving without a parachute is based on the CLC’s comprehensive report Diverse, Engaged, and Precariously Employed: An in-depth look at young workers in Canada.

The post Young Canadians need more opportunities appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“We know that our world of work is changing, and Ontario has approached this challenge the right way. This is the most significant review in Ontario in 20 years, and it lays the groundwork for a new set of workplace standards to ensure decent work in the 21st century,” said CLC president, Hassan Yussuff.

“Now that this report is out, we encourage the government to accept the challenges that this report presents and act on them in a bold and ambitious way,” Yussuff added. Yussuff encouraged the government to continue working with the Ontario Federation of Labour to design and implement changes related to the review.

Many issues raised by unions in the consultation process, such as shift scheduling and sick days, are concerns across Canada. The CLC is encouraging other provinces to adopt a broad approach similar to Ontario’s, which allowed for consideration of a wide range of possible changes to both Employment Standards and the provincial Labour Code.

“Canadian unions are working hard to improve the day-to-day lives of all Canadians, and part of that means being on top of the changes we’re seeing in our world of work. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with provincial and federal governments on the issues these changes are raising for working people,” Yussuff said.

The post Work is changing. Workplace standards need to change too. appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

Fitness Instructor

Jayden is a 24-year-old fitness instructor. He combines several part-time jobs at fitness centres around Mississauga and Etobicoke. His income fluctuates, but in a typical year he brings in about $27,500, roughly half the average wage.

At his current income level, Jayden was on track to retire after a working lifetime with a CPP benefit of about $480 a month. With the planned benefit increase, Jayden will receive an additional $150 a month in CPP retirement benefits, giving him a total CPP income of $7,585 a year, or about $630 a month.

This year, Jayden will contribute about $1,190 to the CPP. With the changes agreed to, Jayden will contribute another $265 annually. In addition to the tax credits Jayden already receives for his CPP contributions, the additional $265 in contributions will be tax-deductible, reducing Jayden’s net income when he files his income tax return.

Dental Assistant

Kendra is a part-time dental assistant in Calgary. In a typical year, she earns about $35,000, around two-thirds of the average wage.

With her current income, Kendra was expecting a CPP retirement benefit of about $695* a month. At the higher CPP benefit level agreed to by Ottawa and the provinces, Kendra would receive about $915 a month if she makes expanded contributions to the CPP over her whole career.

Kendra currently saves about $1,560 a year through the CPP. She will eventually put away another $350 a year. The additional contributions will be tax-deductible.

Bank Employee

Amanda is a loan officer working in a bank in Victoria, the same bank she has worked in since graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Victoria. Her 2016 earnings will be $50,000, close to the average wage.

With this level of income, Amanda could have expected to receive an annual CPP retirement benefit of roughly $1,000 a month. With the enhanced CPP benefit, Amanda can look forward to about $1,310 per month.

In addition to the $2,300 a year that Amanda currently saves through the CPP (matched by her employer), she will save an additional $510 each year through the enhanced CPP. This additional contribution will be tax-deductible.

Electrician

Kyle is an experienced electrician living in Squamish, BC, and working for a company that manufactures and installs green home heating and cooling systems in the Lower Mainland. In 2016, he’ll earn $65,000, significantly more than the ceiling on earnings covered by the current CPP ($54,900).

Earning this level of income over a working lifetime, Kyle could expect to receive the maximum CPP retirement benefit: about $1,100 a month. With the new and improved CPP, all of Kyle’s earnings will go toward saving for a higher CPP retirement benefit. Instead of the $1,100 monthly maximum benefit Kyle could have hoped to receive, he will take home approximately $1,470 a month, an increase of almost $380.

In 2016, Kyle will contribute the maximum to CPP: about $2,545. With the changes made to CPP, Kyle will put more aside for retirement through the CPP. In 2016 terms, he will save an additional $950 a year, for a total CPP contribution of just under $3,500 a year (matched equally by his employer). Kyle’s additional contribution will be tax-deductible when he files his income tax return.

*all benefits calculated in 2016 dollars

The post What an expanded CPP means for someone like you appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

Every time we have an election, we hear lots of talk about low young voter turnout and the misguided perception that youth are apathetic. But recent findings from a study on young people’s political participation will hopefully put this misperception to bed once and for all — or at least put it down for a much-needed nap.

Yes, youth voter turnout is lower than that of the overall population. In the last federal election (2011), only 39 percent of young people aged 18 to 24 voted and only 45 percent of young people aged 25 to 34 voted. This compares to 61 percent of the overall population.

The fact that the majority of youth do not vote is problematic, but jumping to the conclusion that low voter turnout is due to apathy would be ill-informed, to say the least.

After the 2011 federal election, Elections Canada conducted a National Youth Survey on voting trends among young Canadians and looked at the reasons why they vote or why they don’t. The survey found that the most common reasons for not voting were related to personal circumstances such as the following:

• They were too busy with work, school, or family, or travelling at the time, or
• They felt they didn’t have sufficient knowledge about the parties, candidates, and issues.

But do these reasons mean that youth are apathetic? Not really. In fact, a recent study conducted by Samara Canada shows just the opposite: When looking at rates of participation in political and civic life beyond voting, the study found that young Canadians rate 11 percent higher, on average, than older Canadians across 18 different forms of political participation.

For example, compared to Canadians aged 30 or older, youth are more likely to:

• Attend a political meeting or speech;
• Volunteer for a candidate or campaign;
• Give a political speech in public;
• Organize a public event about politics;
• Sign a petition;
• Boycott or buy products for ethical, environmental or political reasons;
• Protest or demonstrate;
• Volunteer for a charitable cause;
• Be active in a group or organization;
• Work with others to solve a community problem;
• Discuss politics and political issues face-to-face or over the phone;
• Discuss via email or text message;
• Circulate repost or comment; or
• Follow a politician or political group on social media.

Looking at this data, it’s clear that youth are far from apathetic. They are actually very engaged—and much more so than the overall population. So why doesn’t this translate into voting?

Who is apathetic towards whom?

Samara’s study suggests that the reason may be tied to whether youth are contacted by political parties or candidates. The study found that, although young people are the most politically engaged, they are also the group least likely to be contacted by a political party, candidate, or Member of Parliament. Nearly half (45 percent) of youth aged 18 to 29 were not contacted (by mail, phone, email, in person, or on a social network), compared to only 25 percent of people 56 or older.

Not surprisingly, Election Canada’s 2011 National Youth Survey found that voter turnout for youth contacted by political leaders was 15 percentage points higher than those not contacted.

Connect with young voters

So what does this tell us? Engagement matters, but the problem is not that young people aren’t engaged, it’s that politicians and candidates aren’t engaging with them.

We can all help break the cycle of low young voter turnout simply by starting a conversation. Engage with young people — they are more active than we’ve been led to think.

For more information:

• Visit the CLC’s Youth Votes Matter page
• Check out the CLC’s Young Workers Facebook Page
• Watch the CLC’s Youth Vote webinar #YouthVote2015: Better strategies to talk to young people about voting

For other sources, visit:

• Youth Vote Canada
• Council of Canadians: Game-Changers
• Apathy is Boring
• Canadian Federation of Students: It’s no secret

The post Young Voters: Ignored, not apathetic appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

Youth unemployment rose from June’s 12.9 per cent to 13.2 per cent in July, with 29,000 fewer young workers in full time jobs.

“It’s time for change,” said CLC president Hassan Yussuff.

“We need a new government that will commit to adequately funding initiatives like targeted paid internships and skills training for youth, and requiring that any business benefiting from federal infrastructure spending hires apprentices,” he added.

Canada’s job market also lost 34,000 public and private sector jobs in June, while the numbers of workers in the often precarious self-employed sector rose by 41,000. Over the past year, overall job growth has been stagnant, with unimpressive private sector job growth of just 0.7 per cent.

“The federal election offers Canadians the opportunity to make a better choice for the economy, one that would spur the creation of good jobs, and stop the trend of growing instability and uncertainty facing workers today,” said Yussuff.

The post Rising youth unemployment demonstrates again that it’s time for change. appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“Last month, another 26,000 young workers gave up looking for a job and left the labour market. If you look at the jobs that our economy has created for these young people over the past year, you’ll see more part-time than full-time work. We need to do better for the next generation,” says Hassan Yussuff.

It’s been five years since the last recession and Canada still has nearly 360,000 young people who want to work but can’t find the job they need. Yussuff says the need for a National Jobs Plan is beyond obvious.

One-third of young workers are employed part-time—and many are in low wage, temporary, and otherwise insecure employment—with a large contingent located in the notoriously insecure retail and service sector. Too many young workers are underemployed—either unable to secure enough hours of work or lost on the margins of the labour force. For October 2014, we calculate that one in four young workers were underemployed.

At the same time employers continue to raise the issue of a skills gap, which in most cases is simply an ‘experience gap’. As both employers and government have cut back paid internships and on the job training for young workers, expect that experience gap to grow larger.

“Canadians expect their federal government to tackle the big issues like chronic underemployment and the failure of our country’s labour market to create enough permanent full-time jobs. We need a jobs plan, not a communications plan – we need action and our young people need jobs,” says Yussuff.

QUICK ANALYSIS FROM ANGELLA MACEWEN

Employment was up by 43,000, and the unemployment rate fell to 6.5%. Even though employment has grown considerably in the past two months, total employment over the past year has only grown by 1%, and over half of job growth in the past year has been in part-time work. The public sector acted as a drag on growth as it shed nearly 54,000 jobs in October. Another sign of weakness is the slow growth in hours worked, up just 0.4 percent year-over-year.

Job quality continues to be a concern, as most of the employment growth this month was centred in retail and self-employment.

Compared to last October, the unemployment rate has fallen from 7.0% to 6.5%. The underemployment rate calculated by the Canadian Labour Congress fell by less, from 13.1% last October to 12.8% this October. This is consistent with the Bank of Canada`s view that there is still significant slack in the Canadian labour market.

The unemployment rate for young workers fell from 13.5% to 12.6%, only because 26,000 young workers left the labour market. For young workers who are new Canadians (5 years or less), the unemployment rate rose to 21% in October. Overall, young workers added 20,000 part-time jobs and lost 15,000 full-time jobs in October. The underemployment rate for workers 15-24 remained high at 24.6%. These are signs that we need a solid plan to get good jobs for young workers.

The post More Young Workers Give Up Hope appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

The organization was responding to Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz’ suggestions before a parliamentary committee earlier this week. Poloz proposed that young unemployed workers should pad their resumes by volunteering or taking on unpaid internships.

“Governor Poloz’ comments speak volumes about the bleak prospects for young workers,” said CLC president Hassan Yussuff.

“But proposing unpaid internships and volunteer work cannot be seen as a serious response to chronically high youth unemployment,” he added.

In September 2014 the under-employment rate for young workers was at 25.6%.

“The solution is clear. Within 4 months of leaving school, all workers under 25 should be guaranteed either a good job, training or a paid internship,” said Yussuff.

“We can do this simply by redirecting a fraction of the billions of dollars in corporate tax cuts showered on already profitable companies over the past few years, or allocating a portion of the mountain of dead money that firms continue to sit on,” he added.

In the last 14 years, corporate income taxes have been cut from 29% to 15%. Despite this windfall, employers are choosing to sit on $650 billion in cash, while business investment remains weak, and job creation continues to lag.

The post Canada needs a Marshall Plan to deal with youth unemployment appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“Young people people want to work and contribute. They want to build lives for themselves but too often they can’t find work, or they are stuck in short term, part-time, and poorly paid jobs. Governments have let them down by failing to act. We owe them better than this.”

Yussuff was responding to the release by Statistics Canada of its Labour Force Survey for May 2014. The official unemployment rate was 7.0% in May and the rate of underemployment was 14.7%. In the 15-to-24 age group, 13.3% of workers were unemployed and 30.4% underemployed. The underemployed can include part-time workers who want to work full-time, or people who have given up searching altogether. Neither group would be described by Statistics Canada as being unemployed, but they are underemployed.

Yussuff also pointed to Statistics Canada’s 2011 census data, which showed that 42.3 % of young adults aged 20 to 29 lived at home, compared to 27 per cent in 1981, noting that their having to live at home will have an impact on how much their parents can save for their own retirement.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, employers in Canada spent only $688 per employee on training in 2011, while U.S employers spent on average, $1,071 per employee – approximately $400 more per employee per year than in Canada.

“Our governments talk about investing in jobs, but the fact is that Canada has fallen far behind. It’s time to walk the talk and for governments to provide deliberate labour market strategies that will allow people to find full-time, meaningful work,” said Yussuff.

Quick Analysis from CLC Senior Economist Angella MacEwen

Statistics Canada reported a loss of 29,000 full-time jobs in May, and a gain of 55,000 part-time jobs. Over the past 12 months, all job growth has been in part-time work, with a net gain of 112,000 part-time jobs. This May more than 1 million workers in Canada were working part-time jobs but wanted full-time work. This is the highest number of underemployed part-time workers in May since Statistics Canada began collecting this information in 1997.

Job growth continues to be centred in the private sector, with year-over-year declines in the public sector and among self-employed workers. Compared to last May, there were 6,000 fewer workers in educational services and 23,000 fewer workers in public administration. The construction industry has seen the largest year-over-year decline in employment, with a loss of 39,000 jobs. Job growth was strongest in the health care and social assistance sector.

The unemployment rate for persons who have been landed immigrants for 5 years or less was 12.4% in May, slightly higher than May 2013 when it was 12.1%. The unemployment rate for newcomers who have been landed immigrants for 5-10 years was 8.7%, an improvement from 9.9% in May 2013. This is still markedly higher than the 7.0% unemployment rate for Canadian-born persons, indicating a need for services to assist recent newcomers in the Canadian job market.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 111 district labour councils

The post Governments failing young Canadian workers: CLC calls for national jobs strategy appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

Ken Georgetti was commenting on the release by Statistics Canada of its Labour Force Survey for October 2013. “I get letters almost every month from people who have been looking for full-time work and and can’t find it,” Georgetti says. “I get other letters from parents whose kids have graduated from college and university with student debt and can’t find work. Often those young people are forced to live in their parents’ basements. It’s heart-breaking.”

According to Statistics Canada, there were 1,325,000 unemployed Canadians in October, the same number as in September, and the overall unemployment rate remained at 6.9%. In the 15-to-24 age group, official unemployment rose to 13.4%  as more young people entered the job market. In September, the unemployment rate among young people was 12.9%. Fully 47.8% of young workers were employed only part-time in October, the same percentage as in September.

“We have a problem with persistent and high unemployment but the Finance Minister insists that we have to pursue austerity and cutbacks,” Georgetti says. “This is causing untold hardship to individuals and families and it also means that our economy is producing at far below its potential.”

Georgetti says Ottawa has a responsibility to assist in job creation and training. “We have more than a million unemployed people who want to work and contribute to their own and our nation’s prosperity.”

Quick Analysis from CLC Senior Economist Angella MacEwen

There was literally no change in the number of unemployed or the unemployment rate in October. The small gain of 13,200 jobs exactly matched the growth in the labour force, leaving the unemployment rate at 6.9%. Most of the jobs gains in October were in the public sector, driven by the health care sector. The youth unemployment rate rose to 13.4% as more young people entered the job market.

Looking at a longer term change in industrial sectors, manufacturing has lost over 50,000 jobs since October 2009, and construction has gained over 150,000 during the same time period. The largest job gains over this period have been in health care and social assistance, with the addition of nearly 240,000 jobs.

While the unemployment rate stays at 6.9%, a broader measure of unemployment shows more weakness in the labour market. The under-utilization rate has been rising. That measure includes people working part time on an involuntary basis and those who have given up the search for work. In the three Octobers prior to 2009, labour under-utilization measured an average of 11%, and it rose to 14.5% in October 2009 (not seasonally adjusted). For the past three Octobers, this measure has been at or near 13%, recovering less than half of the losses from the recession. There remains significant room for fiscal stimulus to improve labour market conditions.

The unemployment rate for newcomers with landed immigrant status is 8%, which is higher than the average rate. Persons who have received landed immigrant status more recently — within the past five years — have an even higher unemployment rate at 11.2%. The unemployment rate for young workers born in Canada was 12.5% , compared to 17.4% for young workers who have been granted landed immigrant status.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils.

Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca
Follow us on Twitter @CanadianLabour

Contacts:  Angella MacEwen, CLC Senior Economist, 613-526-7412.

The post Canadian workers being under-utilized: Ken Georgetti responds to Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“Unemployment remains unacceptably high for younger Canadians and only a small fraction of those without work are able to gain access to Employment Insurance benefits,” says CLC President Ken Georgetti. “The government is abandoning these young workers.”

Georgetti was commenting on the release by Statistics Canada of its Labour Force Survey for April 2013. There were 1,361,700 unemployed Canadians in April, and the overall unemployment rate was 7.2%. In the 15-to-24 age group, unemployment stood at 14.5% and 46.8% of young workers are employed only part-time.

“It is really stunning that only 13% of unemployed workers in the 15-to-24 age group were able to able to qualify for Employment Insurance in 2012 – a mere 7.0% of unemployed women and 17% of unemployed men. This speaks to the harmful changes that Ottawa introduced to the EI system in 2012.”

Georgetti says, “We have 1.4 million unemployed Canadian workers. Yet the federal government has assisted employers to import hundreds of thousands of vulnerable migrant workers paying them less than prevailing wages. This has not helped match Canadians looking for work with the jobs employers need to fill. We should be concerned that there are no jobs for the unemployed and the TFWP is part of the problem.”

Quick Analysis from CLC Senior Economist Angella MacEwen 

A gain of over 12,000 jobs in April was not enough to move the unemployment rate, which remained stuck at 7.2%. In a change from the recent trend, all of the employment gains were due to public sector hiring, as the private sector shed 20,000 jobs in April.

Youth unemployment continues to be a serious concern. The real unemployment rate for youth age 15-24 increased by half a percentage point over last April, to 20.9%.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils. Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca  Follow us on Twitter @CanadianLabour

The post CLC says government failing young workers: Only 13% of unemployed youth qualify for EI benefits appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.