Someone asked me to comment on David Brook’s column on the experience economy yesterday. I know some of you are not fans but I find his stuff thought provoking. The column makes the case that Americans for the past…
Continue ReadingConfusing urbanization and NB’s northern challenge
Most people, even smart folks, put down what is happening in Northern New Brunswick to a kind of natural urbanization – a migration to the big cities where the work is. They look at Brazil or Kenya and think that…
Continue ReadingEngaging the private sector
As you know I have been writing and talking more lately about the need for a new partnership with industry when it comes to economic development. I have written about the challenges associated with this in the past but I…
Continue ReadingJobs, jobs, jobs still matters in NB
My column today is on the importance of job creation in New Brunswick. I mention the slow decline of the call centre industry in the province since about 2005 and I speculate that this decline will continue albeit at a…
Continue ReadingI’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll sell for $315 million
You know capitalism must be working when a media outlet set up to complain day and night about the evils of capitalism is able to turn a $1 million investment into a $315 million sale – a profit that would…
Continue ReadingEmployment picture by region across NB
For those of you interested in such things, I have uploaded Service Canada’s monthly labour market report for New Brunswick. It’s an interesting read. Moncton, for example, saw an increase in employment in January (year over year) but a…
Continue ReadingDeeper dive into the NB employment figures: Warning – it’s a bit ugly
As I have said in the past, I am not a huge fan of looking at the month-over-month labour force survey data because there can be significant swings on a monthly basis – even in the seasonally adjusted data. I…
Continue ReadingA worrying trend
The labour force survey out this morning shows a continuing downward trend in employment. There are an estimated 4,600 fewer people working in January 2011 than in January 2010. There are an estimated 6,700 fewer full time workers year over…
Continue ReadingIn defense of capitalism
Based on a few columns and conversations over the past few days, I regret to inform you that anti-business sentiment is alive and well in New Brunswick. Of course this is nothing new – I remember feeling this back…
Continue ReadingPopulation growth + inflation: The magic public spending formula?
The CFIB is calling for public spending to increase each year by a formula – inflation + population growth. For example, the NB government spends about $10,000 per person each year. The idea would be that spending in the subsequent…
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