What is the purpose of the unemployment rate? According to Statistics Canada the unemployment rate is the “number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force” which isn’t particularly helpful. The agency defines unemployment as follows: “Unemployed…
Continue ReadingDon’t let Covid-19 derail New Brunswick’s progress
Keep your eye on the ball. Keep your stick on the ice. Keep your head up. We can’t led Covid-19 derail New Brunswick’s progress. The new population figures from Statistics Canada are out. These are provincial figures and are based…
Continue ReadingIs NB running a $75 million economic development spending deficit?
I have received a little bit of negative feedback on my post recently that suggested New Brunswick is spending $75 million less today on economic development than it was 20 years ago as a share of total provincial government spending. …
Continue ReadingCongratulations on your victory, Premier Higgs. Now a few thoughts on economic development.
The good news when a party wins a second mandate – particularly after the first one was truncated – is continuity in government. The last Premier to win and complete two full mandates was Frank McKenna – and he left…
Continue ReadingMy lament for the translation sector in New Brunswick (Part 71)
I recently got my hands on the latest business counts data from Statistics Canada (June 2020). The business counts provide a count of all the firms in each of several hundred industries (NAICS) and their employment level. The data includes…
Continue ReadingAdvice to the politicians: Double down on cybersecurity
I get real nervous when politicians ‘politicize’ economic development. This is not to say they shouldn’t critique each others’ economic development programs. They absolutely should – this is a democracy and we want political parties to be very clear about…
Continue ReadingA little advice for those starting out in their careers
In the past few months I have had a larger number than usual of people reaching out to seek my advice or to ask about job opportunities at Jupia Consultants. Many hope I can refer them to someone that has…
Continue ReadingA kind of Hippocratic Oath for economic development
There is a lot of debate about what the role of government should be to support economic development. Some prefer a highly interventionist state while others would like government with a light touch. Maybe we should have a kind of…
Continue ReadingEconomic development and the New Brunswick election
I used to gently poke fun at New Brunswickers about their voting preferences. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s they would consistently tell pollsters their top concerns were jobs and the economy (and, typically, health care) and, yet, when it…
Continue ReadingOn Saint John the Exporter: Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss
As Sam croons in Casablanca, sometimes a kiss is just a kiss, a smile is just a smile. Sometimes a data point is just a data point. We can certainly unpack it, analyze it, set it in context, look at…
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