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Video: Myth & Reality About Technology, Skills & Jobs
We are constantly told that the world of work is being turned upside down by ‘technology’: some faceless, anonymous, uncontrollable force that is somehow beyond human control. There’s no point resisting this exogenous, omnipresent force. The best thing to do is get with the program… and learn how to program! Acquiring the right skills (usually assumed to be STEM or computer skills) is the best way to protect yourself in this brave new high-tech future. But what if technology isn’t all it’s cracked up to be? And what if you invest in learning the current hot coding language, only to see it replaced by something totally different as soon as…
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The ‘Class of COVID’ Needs Support After the Pandemic
Young people have been among the hardest-hit by the economic fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession. More than one in four workers under age 30 lost their jobs when the pandemic hit. And young workers now account for two-thirds of remaining job losses. Earnings for workers entering the job market at this time will be suppressed for many years to come, perhaps for their entire working careers. In this commentary, originally published in the Toronto Star, Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford describes the disproportionate losses experienced by young workers – and urges powerful measures to support their recovery after the pandemic. By Jim Stanford We have…
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10-Part Online Course in the “Economics of Life”
This fall, the Centre’s Director Jim Stanford is teaching a 10-part on-line course in “Economics for Everyone” through a University of Toronto-affiliated program called Later Life Learning (LLL). The course will dig under conventional economic jargon (about ‘markets’, ‘supply and demand,’ and ‘efficiency’), focusing instead on the economic issues that average people encounter in their daily life. The LLL program usually offers in-person courses at the U of T. But because of the pandemic it has moved on-line, and anyone can participate. You first have to join the LLL network (it’s free). Then you can register for this course (which costs $70 for the 10 sessions). The course is number…
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Podcast on the Federal Budget, Early Child Education, and the Recovery from COVID
Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford was a guest in this post-budget special edition of The Herle Burly podcast, hosted by David Herle. He and fellow panelists Dr. Kate Bezanson (from Brock University) and Peter Nicholson (former head of policy for the PMO) dissected the budget’s eye-popping deficit forecast, whether deficits matter, and the economic importance of universal high-quality early child education. Watch the full discussion here. https://youtu.be/fC92ZAs4P5g Budget Panel: Bezanson, Nicholson, Stanford + the Political Panel: Byrne and Reid | The Herle Burly
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National Child Care Roll-Out Will Boost Economy More Than Budget Estimates
Today’s federal government pledge to implement a national affordable child care program will significantly accelerate Canada’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, according to research from the Vancouver-based Centre for Future Work. And the Centre suggests that the resulting boost to output and employment will be significantly larger than estimated by today’s federal budget. “Universal high-quality early child education is a vital ingredient in a high-performance economy, and this plan will spark job-creation and income growth across the country,” said Dr. Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work. “In fact, the improvements in employment and GDP growth arising from the plan are likely to be…
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The Contradictions of ‘Caring Capitalism’
Many companies these days try to promote a ‘socially responsible’ image: giving money to charities, speaking broadly about ‘stakeholders’ and ‘sustainability’, and even joining debates about issues like racism. But when it comes to their own bottom lines, few diverge from the fundamental goals of minimizing costs, avoiding taxes, and maximizing profits – regardless of the harm that might result to their workers, communities, or the environment. In this commentary, originally published in the Toronto Star, Jim Stanford takes aim at contradictions of this ‘kinder, gentler’ image corporations are trying to create. His jumping-off point is Hasbro’s effort to improve the image of its iconic Monopoly board game. The commentary…
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Media & Video Coverage of New Report on Workers’ Voice
The Centre for Future Work recently released a major report on the theory and practice of “workers’ voice,” as part of its ongoing PowerShare project. The report is titled Speaking Up, Being Heard, Making Change: The Theory and Practice of Worker Voice in Canada Today, was co-authored by Jim Stanford and Daniel Poon. The full report is available here. The report was launched with a special 50-minute webinar featuring presentations by: Shannon Daub, B.C. Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Co-authors Jim Stanford and Daniel Poon Christine Maclin, Director of Human Rights for Unifor, speaking on that union’s new Racial Justice Advocate program Pamela Charron, with the Worker…
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To Each According to their Need: The Morality of Vaccinations
The accelerating roll-out of COVID vaccines has stirred optimism among Canadians that the pandemic may be entering its last stages. An interesting dimension of the roll-out is the strong consensus among Canadians that the most at-risk Canadians should get vaccinated first: older Canadians, residents of long term care facilities, front-line workers, Indigenous people, prisoners, and others. In this commentary, a version of which was originally published in the Toronto Star, Jim Stanford considers the implications of this moral position – and wonders why we don’t apply the same principle (“To Each According to Their Need”) in other areas of economic life. By Jim Stanford Excitement over the rollout of COVID…
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Uber ‘Benefits’ Plan Aimed at Forestalling Real Change
Debate over the treatment of ride-share drivers, food delivery riders, and other workers in the gig economy continues to heat up, as governments around the world enact new policies to extend basic employment protections to those workers. The Centre for Future Work is consulting with groups like Gig Workers United and Ridefair Toronto on policies to close the loopholes that currently allow gig platforms to evade normal employment responsibilities. The following commentary was written by Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford in response to a new initiative by Uber to offer limited ‘benefits’ to its workers. By Jim Stanford It is not often that employers complain about workers being…
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The Revolution Will Not be Led by Day Traders
Global financial markets have been roiled since the New Year by dramatic surges in shares of several companies – even more gut-wrenching than the usual twists and turns of the paper markets. The rise and quick fall of GameStop shares was the most stunning; some observers attributed its volatility to a “populist” attack (by small-scale retail traders) on the elite bastions of high finance. Jim Stanford begs to differ: in this commentary (originally published in the Toronto Star), he argues the growing popularity of day-trading is not challenging the dominance of financial elites… it is reinforcing it. GameStop Shenanigans Only Enriched the Wealthy By Jim Stanford For a few exhilarating…