I am reading that in the United States, the professional class and the wealthy are working far more hours per week than they did a couple of generations ago while the poorer classes are working considerably less hours. I don’t…
Continue ReadingThe Maritimes are on the IT Capital Merry-Go-Round
The announcement that Salesforce.com is buying a Halifax firm is very interesting. I encourage you to click on the link because the owners of that firm can’t be much older than their mid 20s. $70 million richer today. I still…
Continue ReadingOne-and-a-half cheers for capitalism
I watched The Secret of My Success last night while on the treadmill and it’s a pretty good movie if you can get beyond the David Foster anthems and cheezy hair styles of the 1980s – what were we thinking?…
Continue ReadingThe growth rate among retirees claiming pension income is in decline
One of the issues of concern to people like me is the lack of personal savings in New Brunswick and the potential impact on the economy in the years ahead. Like most provinces, historically many New Brunswickers could count on…
Continue ReadingThe Saskatchewan Miracle: Income Impacts
Recently a delegation from the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference was in New Brunswick and I got a chance to sit down with them to discuss economic, demographic and social trends in the province. During that discussion, the delegate from…
Continue ReadingWhy Entrepreneurs Matter – for the Middle School Audience
Hello, Guinea Pigs. I have prepared another presentation – this one on the importance of entrepreneurs. As you may have noticed I am toying with other ways to show/display important economic development concepts. I am not graphically inclined so this stuff is…
Continue ReadingJobs still matter. It’s incredible I have to even say it.
A new Nova Scotia study finds the government focus on job creation has hurt the province’s productivity. It is interesting when studies are needed to confirm the obvious. But I think we have to be really careful when having…
Continue ReadingWhere you start has a lot to do with where you end up: More thoughts on nat gas
Reading a letter to the editor in the TJ reminded me of that old adage that where you end up has a lot to do with where you start. Two or three years ago, most people didn’t even know that…
Continue ReadingThinking about immigration – A slide show
I whipped up this presentation last night. It contains a few stats and comments about immigration and New Brunswick. Download a PDF version here.
Continue ReadingTiptoeing around urban-rural land mines
I tend to get quite a few emails whenever I talk about the urban-rural thing in Atlantic Canada as I did in my Economy Lab piece yesterday. One economist wanted to point out Statistics Canada’s definition of urban and rural.…
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