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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.

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

    Alberta Continues to Slip in National Wage Rankings

    January 28, 2025 /

    After a decade of declining real wages, Alberta continues to lag the rest of Canada in repairing wages and living standards for the province’s workers. That is the finding of new research released by the Centre for Future Work.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Inequality,  Trade Unions,  Wages

    Strikes Have Economics Benefits, Not Just Costs

    January 4, 2025 /

    In the tumultuous years since the COVID pandemic and the subsequent outbreak of inflation, Canada has experienced a large number of work stoppages. Canada experienced over 800 strikes and lockouts in 2023, resulting in 6.6 million days of work time lost. That’s much higher than in most recent years, but still lower than peak levels of industrial disputes experienced in the 1970s and 1980s.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Inequality,  Macroeconomics,  Wages

    ‘Vibecession’: Reconciling Positive Statistics with Negative Sentiment

    December 2, 2024 /

    Newly released data for the third quarter of 2024 (July-September) shows the economy has continued to grow, albeit slowly. Consumer spending was the brightest light in the third quarter data: growing at an annualized rate of 3.5% (in real, inflation-adjusted terms), and constituting the largest single source of new demand.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Inequality,  Racialized Workers,  Trade Unions

    Unions and Racialized Workers: Media Coverage and Webinar

    August 20, 2024 /

    The Centre for Future Work recently released new research on the extent of wage inequality across racialized categories of workers in Canada, and the importance of union representation in supporting racialized workers to win better jobs and better pay. Please see the full 85-page report, The Importance of Unions in Reducing Racial Inequality: New Data and Best Practices, by Winnie Ng, Salmaan Khan, and Jim Stanford.

    Read More
    Jim Stanford
  • Fiscal Policy,  Inequality,  Research

    Capital Gains Tax Preferences Benefit Speculative Corporations and Very-High Income Individuals

    August 18, 2024 /

    Capital gains income is starkly concentrated among the richest 1.5% of Canadians, and corporate sectors with non-existent job-creation. They are the main beneficiaries of special loopholes which reduce taxes on capital gains.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Inequality,  PowerShare,  Racialized Workers,  Research,  Trade Unions

    The Importance of Unions in Reducing Racial Inequality

    August 13, 2024 /

    The Centre for Future Work has released new research regarding union coverage and wages across different racialized categories of Canadian workers. The report also contains a review of efforts by Canadian unions to improve their representation of Black and racialized workers, and recommendations for strengthening the union movement’s practices.

    Read More
    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Fiscal Policy,  Inequality

    Self-Interest of Wealthy Investors Explains Over-the-Top Reaction to Capital Gains Reform

    June 24, 2024 /

    The federal government’s 2024-25 budget included an important reform to the taxation of capital gains. Capital gains occur when an asset is sold for more than it cost to acquire. Capital gains are heavily concentrated among high-income Canadians – more so than any other form of income. And making matters worse, they receive lucrative tax preferences: until this year, recipients only had to declare half their gains on their income tax (for a so-called ‘inclusion rate’ of 50%). The other half was entirely tax-free. In contrast, other forms of income (like wages and salaries) must all be reported on a tax return: that is, their ‘inclusion rate’ is 100%!

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    Jim Stanford
  • Inequality,  Research,  Trade Unions

    Union Coverage and Inequality in Canada

    October 19, 2023 /

    International evidence attests to the positive role of trade unions and collective bargaining in lifting wages and economic security for workers, and reducing inequality – both within workplaces, and across society. In this article, originally published in Jacobin magazine, labour law professor David Doorey (from York University) and Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford present Canadian data on the link between the strength of the union movement and trends in income inequality. The material was prepared for the forthcoming third edition of Doorey’s best-selling labour law textbook, The Law of Work.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Employment & Unemployment,  Inequality,  Macroeconomics,  Research

    The Failures of ‘Trickle-Down’ Economics in Alberta

    May 24, 2023 /

    Since its election in 2019, the current provincial government in Alberta has emphasized a classic ‘trickle-down’ economic strategy. It argues that by boosting profits of private business, capital investment will grow, and job-creation, rising incomes, and economic growth will then ‘trickle down’ to the rest of the population.

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    Jim Stanford
  • Commentary,  Inequality,  Inflation,  Macroeconomics,  Wages

    New Video: Profits, not Wages, are the Driving Force Behind Inflation

    June 22, 2022 /

    What’s causing the current surge in inflation? And what should be done about it? In this new video, the latest in our “Debunkers’ Academy” series, Jim Stanford from the Centre for Future Work shows it’s not higher wages driving higher prices — in fact, wages are lagging far behind prices, and falling in real terms. The real culprit is corporations, who have taken advantage of the disruptions of the pandemic to jack up their prices (and their profits). This inflation is different than the 1970s, and it needs a different solution. Watch and learn! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DgwM7nruQg

    Read More
    Jim Stanford
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Recent Posts

  • Public Health Care Is Not Just a ‘Cost’… It’s an Economic Driver
  • Supporting Skilled Trades Labour Supply as Canada Embarks on Historic Building Boom
  • Albertans’ Economic Hardship Reflects Provincial Policy Choices, not “Attacks” by the Rest of Canada
  • New Data Confirms Canada-U.S. Trade is Balanced and Mutually Beneficial
  • Per Capita GDP is a Deeply Flawed Measure of Economic Performance and Living Standards

About Us

Read more on our About page.

The Centre for Future Work conducts progressive research on labour issues, with offices in Canada and Australia. In Canada, the Centre works in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. In Australia, the Centre is a project of the Australia Institute.

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