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Centre for Future Work

A non-partisan centre of excellence, developing timely and practical policy proposals to help make the world of work better for working people and their families.

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  • Research
    • Research
    • Sector Bargaining Clearing House
  • Coverage & Commentary
  • PowerShare
  • False Profits
  • Online Learning
    • Debunkers’ Academy
    • Economics for Everyone: How to Cut Through the Jargon
  • Commentary,  Finance,  Trump Tariffs

    Trump Launches New Attack Against Canada’s Currency

    September 11, 2026 /

    U.S. President Donald Trump has opened another front in his trade war against Canada, suggesting that Canada is taking advantage of the U.S. through its currency. Both currencies are called the dollar, but Canada’s trades for less than the U.S. currency, and Trump argues this creates an unfair advantage.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Employment & Unemployment,  Trump Tariffs

    Canada-U.S. Employment Contrast Shows Trump’s Tariffs are not Working

    August 10, 2026 /

    On August 7 both Statistics Canada and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released their monthly labour force reports (for July). The stark contrast in the two trends certainly strengthens Canada's hand in ongoing trade talks with Trump. Canada created 75,000 jobs in July. The U.S. lost 23,000 jobs by one measure (the payroll survey of employers), 87,000 by another (the household survey of workers).

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    James
  • Commentary,  Globalization,  Trump Tariffs

    Trump Hits Canada and Others With Still More Tariffs

    July 27, 2026 /

    As negotiations among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico continue over the review and renewal of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), U.S. President Donald Trump has ratcheted up his aggressive tariff threats against Canada and other countries. This follows his usual ‘Art of the Deal’ strategy, which is to create chaos, threaten harm, extract concessions (often marginal), and then claim historic victory.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Industry & Sector,  Trade Unions,  Trump Tariffs

    Auto Talks a Chance to Reinforce the Canadian Industry’s Lasting Potential

    June 29, 2026 /

    As Canada’s auto industry grapples with the fallout from Donald Trump’s erratic and mutually-damaging tariffs, the union representing auto workers has opened its triennial round of major bargaining with the major North American automakers. First up will be talks with Ford, which has invested $5 billion in its Canadian operations despite the tariffs. In this commentary, originally published in the Toronto Star, Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford discusses the importance of this bargaining in enhancing stability for both workers and the automakers, and showcasing the advantages of Canadian auto manufacturing – advantages which, he argues, will outlast Trump.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Inflation,  Macroeconomics

    Webinar on New Report: A Sequel We Don’t Want

    June 16, 2026 /

    The Centre for Future Work recently hosted a webinar presenting results from its new report, A Sequel We Don’t Want: What the 2026 Oil Price Shock Will Cost Canadians. The webinar featured presentations from Jim Stanford (Centre for Future Work Director, and author of the report), Atila Jaffar (Canada Country Manager from 350.org, sponsor of a campaign for an excess profit tax on petroleum companies), and DT Cochrane (Senior Economist at the Canadian Labour Congress).

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Inflation,  Macroeconomics

    Oil Price Spike Causing More Trouble for Canada’s Economy

    June 16, 2026 /

    Centre for Future Work Economist and Director Jim Stanford was recently interviewed on CBC News Channel regarding the outlook for Canada’s economy. He stressed that growth has been near-zero since U.S. president Donald Trump launched his trade war through big tariffs on Canadian exports. He also explained how high oil prices resulting from Trump’s attacks on Iran and the resulting disruption in global oil supplies would affect inflation in Canada, citing findings from the Centre’s recent report on the inflationary impacts of the war.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Employment & Unemployment,  Macroeconomics

    Political Drama Over Technical Recession Not Justified

    June 15, 2026 /

    Canada’s economy has been growing very slowly for the last year, since Donald Trump launched his trade war against Canada’s exports. The side-effects of Trump’s attacks against Iran (including high oil prices and accelerating inflation) have further undermined growth in Canada. Recent Statistics Canada data indicate that real GDP in Canada (adjusted for inflation) declined very slightly (by 0.036%) in the first quarter of 2026. Coming on the heels of a larger decline in real GDP in the final quarter of 2025, this signifies that Canada is experiencing a ‘technical recession” – traditionally defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction in real GDP. There is no doubt that Canada’s economy…

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Fiscal Policy,  Inflation,  Macroeconomics

    CBC Sunday Morning Feature Interview: Trump’s War and the Macroeconomic Outlook

    April 28, 2026 /

    In this CBC national radio interview with host Piya Chattopadhyay, Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford discusses the impacts of the war (on top of the disruptions from Trump’s tariff policies) on Canada’s economy, in the lead-up to the federal government’s spring fiscal update.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Finance,  Inflation

    Speculation and Greed Explain the Price of Gasoline, not Supply and Demand

    April 23, 2026 /

    The economic impacts of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran were felt by Canadians within hours of its launch. Prices for gasoline, diesel, and home heating oil (widely used in Atlantic Canada) shot up very quickly. This is both surprising and infuriating—since those products were produced, refined, and delivered long before the war started. Why do consumers have to pay more, given the war had no impact on the cost of production?

    Read More
    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Economic Literacy,  Finance

    How do Banks Make so Much Money, Anyway?

    December 10, 2025 /

    CBC journalist Andrew Chang is known for his unique ability to break down complex topics, for his ‘About That’ program. He has recently posted an outstanding segment on how Canada's big banks make so much money. Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford was one of the experts interviewed for the show.

    Read More
    Jim Stanford
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Recent Posts

  • Trump Launches New Attack Against Canada’s Currency
  • Extending Gas Tax Holiday Won’t Fix Fossil Fuel Inflation
  • Workforce Alliances an Opportunity for Canadian Unions to Shape Future Industrial Strategies
  • Health Care is an Economic Engine, not Just a Cost Item
  • Canada-U.S. Employment Contrast Shows Trump’s Tariffs are not Working

About Us

Read more on our About page.

The Centre for Future Work is a progressive labour economics research institute, founded in Canada in 2020. The Centre is a unique centre of excellence on the full range of economic issues facing working people. It is independent and non-partisan.

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