I have been crunching so much data in the past few weeks and months that I am getting fatigued. It seems to me we have ample evidence from all sides as to the challenges ahead. The following is the percentage change in the number of people in New Brunswick collecting income by source. I only have from 2000 to 2007.
Persons with employment income (+5%)
Persons with Old Age Security (OAS) and net federal supplements (+13%)
Persons with Canada Pension Plan (CPP) income (+24%)
Persons receiving Canada Child Tax Benefit (-2%)
It is likely the CPP and OAS numbers accelerated even faster since 2007 – I don’t have access to the data.
Of course, the CPP is funded – but the point is the number of people moving into retirement compared to employment.
On the bright side, all that CPP and OAS money is coming into the province from outside.
But yeah. New Brunswick can’t consist only of old people and repatriated children (at 100K+ a pop). It needs immigration.
It is very difficult to see this in a bright light, but it is a reality for anyone who will be around in the next 15-20 years.
Boy will it ever be a different world at the peak of this demographic anomaly. Our society is changing, and change is never easy.
” It needs immigration”
NB needs economic opportunity to attract immigrants. Let’s develop the economic opportunity, then worry about attracting immigrants later. Most of the immigrants in this area, at least, seem to either be involved in small businesses offering local services, or are employed in the para-public sectors. The latter are relatively high-wage jobs in many cases; their spending provides fuel to those small businesses.
We are in a situation now where govt spending is being cut, therefore fewer immigrants will likely be coming to NB for those public sector type jobs. Urban economic growth in places like Freddy Beach will slow as govt spending is cut; fewer local service – small business opportunities will be available.
Significant immigration won’t happen until we improve economic opportunities here. There is no sign of that happening any time soon.
@Richard – immigration creates the economic opportunities, not the other way around.
“@Richard – immigration creates the economic opportunities, not the other way around.”
I’d like to see the data to support that. Most immigrants settle where the jobs and opportunities are, not the other way round. You have it exactly backwards.