It’s interesting. It seems passing Newfoundland & Labrador with the highest unemployment rate in Canada among the 10 provinces has at least raised a few eyebrows.
As I pointed out in my column on Saturday, getting the public interest in jobs and the economy remains a difficult challenge.
Now New Brunswick’s big three urban centres are sheddings – in the past 12 months Saint John and Moncton shed a combined 6,300 jobs (on a seasonally adjusted basis). The whole province only saw a decline of 5,600.
When it was northern and rural NB struggling, some folks called it an unfortunate but necessary adjustment as folks move to the bigger cities. I wonder what they will say now that Moncton has joined the mix? How about an unfortunately but necessary adjustment as folks move to Alberta?
The reality is we need economic growth – new sources of business investment, entrepreneurship and job creation. Shuffling economic activity from one part of NB to another is not a long term solution.
I think you are hanging around WAY too many politicians, bureaucrats media and academic types if you really think that New Brunswickers are hard to get interested in jobs.
You are right Mikel…clearly they are leaving because they want jobs.
I think he is referring to the lack of political interest in discussing how to create jobs and reinvigorate the economy here. I suggest that people are afraid to speak out against corporate greed as retaliation is so high here. Anyone who can afford to leave the province is already dashing out of here like crazy for work. Allowing corporations who are extremely tight with their money to dictate all policy parameters around job creation and economics has only ever resulted in the rich getting richer.
Low value on the blue collar and administrative working classes has created a culture of defeatism in this province. I have lived here all of my life except 7 years when I lived in Alberta, there they value blue collar and admin professions and pay them accordingly, in turn these properly paid people are willing to spend and tip in the service sector. When the game of life only allows a select few to win all of the time others quit playing! When the majority quit the never winning game the economy comes to a grinding halt. Enter present day stage left!
Like Detroit, sometimes it makes sense to abandon an area that is no longer viable. Go where the jobs are rather than try to go against the grain. At minimum we should probably consolidate to the cities for growth at the expense of all the small municipalities that are costing and wasting money (Sackville comes to mind). All that will remain in NB are retirees and those that continue to receive EI for most of the year.