TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- All 10 Canadian provinces have underperformed compared to most U.S. states on key labour indicators including private-sector job growth and employment rates over the past three years, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“This Labour Day, as we remember that strong labour markets mean more opportunities and higher living standards for workers, the stronger performance of U.S. states should concern all Canadians including policymakers,” said Steve Lafleur, senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Measuring Labour Markets in Canada and the United States, 2019.
The study measures the labour market performance of all 10 Canadian provinces and 50 U.S. states from 2016 to 2018, using eight indicators including job-creation, unemployment and worker productivity (the average value of goods and services produced per worker).
All 10 Canadian provinces rank in the bottom half of the 60 jurisdictions with British Columbia (31th) and Quebec (48th) the highest-ranked provinces.
Three of the five lowest ranked jurisdictions are Canadian: New Brunswick (58th), Nova Scotia (59th) and Newfoundland and Labrador (last at 60th).
Crucially, on total employment growth, a key measure of a jurisdiction’s economic health, only one province ranked in the top 10 (B.C. tied for 9th with an average total employment growth rate of 2.6 per cent over the three-year period). Colorado ranked first on this measure (3.3 per cent) while five jurisdictions (including Saskatchewan and Newfound and Labrador) averaged negative annual employment growth over the three-year period.
“The relatively low employment growth rates in several provinces will limit the ability of workers to prosper for themselves and their families,” said Ben Eisen, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.
| Overall Labour Market Index Rankings | |
| Province | Rank (out of 60) |
| British Columbia | 31 |
| Quebec | 48 |
| Manitoba | 49 |
| Ontario | 50 |
| Saskatchewan | 51 |
| Prince Edward Island | 52 |
| Alberta | 53 |
| New Brunswick | 58 |
| Nova Scotia | 59 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 60 |
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Steve Lafleur, Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute
Ben Eisen, Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:
Mark Hasiuk, 604-688-0221 ext. 517, mark.hasiuk@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org