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A SN

Tom Thorne's ejournal: Economic stagnation in US means whoever wins the US Presidential... - 1 views

tomthorneejournal.blogspot.ca/...ation-in-us-means-whoever.html

Stagnate Economic Growth

shared by A SN on 28 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • The real threat to Canada is not who is in the White House but what they do about the mounting US Government debt now at $16 Trillion plus. To this point there is no will apparent to cooperate for a solution.
  • The real threat to Canada is not who is in the White House but what they do about the mounting US Government debt now at $16 Trillion plus. To this point there is no will apparent to cooperate for a solution.
  • The real threat to Canada is not who is in the White House but what they do about the mounting US Government debt now at $16 Trillion plus. To this point there is no will apparent to cooperate for a solution.
    • A SN
      A SN on 28 Nov 12
       
      Represents the real threat to Canada; USA's economic stagnation
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • The real threat to Canada is not who is in the White House but what they do about the mounting US Government debt now at $16 Trillion plus. To this point there is no will apparent to cooperate for a solution.
  • If the US literally prints its way out of its economic mess, the mess will be compounded. 
    • A SN
      A SN on 28 Nov 12
       
      Problems caused by overprinting money
  • Such an action is guaranteed to create inflation and a rise in interest rates charged to service the debt and also generally for business and lenders of all kinds.
  • Lenders will want more interest to cover the risk of carrying US Government debt loads expressed in diluted valued bonds and currency.
    • A SN
      A SN on 28 Nov 12
       
      The proves that the USA is in really bad debt.
  • Serious debt reduction is needed in the US Congress and Administration.  And there is very little wiggle room to cut US government expenditures. However failure to do so will mean in the middle range of time that the US will become more and more an economic lightweight and hence its world presence will be diminished. That is bad for Canada.
    • A SN
      A SN on 28 Nov 12
       
      If USA falls into a deeper economic stagnation Canada will be widely affected.
  • The US is making itself militarily and financially vulnerable. Canada, no matter how well we manage our financial affairs, will be forced into the same situation as our major trading partner.
    • A SN
      A SN on 28 Nov 12
       
      The US is losing it influence throughout the world. This is a problem.
  • It will be tougher for Canada to retain our natural resources.  Potential deals like the Chinese State taking over Nexen in our oil sands, will become more likely if we want to maintain our own economic performance independent of a financially errant US.
    • A SN
      A SN on 28 Nov 12
       
      problems caused by USA economic stagnation.
  • It really is time for the United States Government and its politicians to bite the economic bullet. Failure to do so means a downsizing of the United State’s influence on the world stage and that can only mean that Canada will need a more independent economic policy as China grows in influence. In short the lack of action on the economic front by our major trading partner is taking us more to Europe and into the arms of the Chinese Government’s hegemony.
    • A SN
      A SN on 28 Nov 12
       
      The consequences if the USA does not change.
  • A SN on 28 Nov 12
     
    Questions: 1. Do you think that eventually Canada will have no choice but to sell its natural resources to the other world powers? Can this be a good change? 2. Canada and the USA share a lot of history and do a lot of activities together, do you think that being financially independent will make us rely less on the US ?
Erica Yeo

Canada's wage gap at record high: OECD - The Globe and Mail - 1 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article4099041

inequality canada challenges globeandmail skillsgap

shared by Erica Yeo on 23 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • gap between Canada’s rich and poor is growing
  • the income gap in Canada is well above the 34-country average, though still not as extreme as in the United States
  • Countries with greater income inequality tend to see shorter, less sustained periods of economic growth
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • Greater inequality raises economic, political and ethical challenges as it risks leaving a growing number of people behind in an ever-changing economy
  • the top federal marginal income tax rates tumbled – to 29 per cent in 2010 from 43 per cent in 1981
  • Canada’s growing gap: a widening disparity in labour earnings between high- and low-paid workers, and less redistribution.
  • Taxes and benefits reduce inequality less in Canada than in most OECD countries
  • Shifts in the labour market are a key reason why the gap is widening
  • Technological progress has been more beneficial to high-skilled workers, while the gap in men’s earnings in particular is growing ever wider
  • annual hours of low-wage workers in Canada have fallen to 1,100 hours from 1,300 hours, while those of higher-wage workers fell by less, to 2,100 from 2,200 hours
  • Rising self-employment
  • the self-employed typically earn less than other full-time workers
  • Taxation
  • Canada’s tax-benefit system was as effective as those of the Nordic countries in stabilizing equality, offsetting more than 70 per cent of the rise of market-income inequality
  • taxes and benefits now offset less than 40 per cent of the rise in inequality
  • inequality has been rising more rapidly in Canada than in the U.S.
  • social implications
  • income inequality with poor health outcomes
  • 11-year difference in life expectancy between men who live in its poorest neighbourhood and those its richest
  • Taxing the rich
  • closing loopholes
  • compliance with tax rules
  • education, skills training and job retraining programs
  • More and better jobs, enabling people to escape poverty and offering real career prospects, is the most important challenge
  • burmangabriel on 23 Nov 12
     
    1) What do you think are possible solutions for the rising inequality? 2) Since the rich are taking a higher percent of overall income and Canada is in debt, do you agree with lowering their taxes?
ShiyuandCristina SC

Canada's organic food certification system like 'an extortion racket,' report says | Ca... - 2 views

news.nationalpost.com/...n-extortion-racket-report-says

Commodities and Resources organic food

shared by ShiyuandCristina SC on 27 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • Annual organic agricultural sales in Canada exceed $2.6-billion, by recent estimates, with supermarket chains joining alternative stores in stocking an ever-widening array of organic-labelled products.
  • Canada’s legislated organic certification process is an invitation for fraud and abuse, the report argues, with consumers paying an often hefty premium for a designation that requires no proof.
  • In response to the organic industry’s growth, Canada enacted a labelling requirement: Since 2009, products making an organic claim must be certified by an agency accredited by the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • The organic certification industry’s “dirty little secret,” they write, is that “organic crops and livestock are not tested in Canada before they are certified, thus making organic certification essentially meaningless.”
  • The CFIA said organic products are subject to its regular chemical residue monitoring program, along with all other food products. The federal agency, itself, does not provide certification, but rather accredits private businesses to do it. Most are for-profit businesses.
  • “There are a large number of consumers who have misperceptions of what organic means, attaching to it things that generally aren’t true,” Mr. Campbell said in an interview.
  • The analysis did find organic food was 30% less likely to contain trace levels of pesticides, with the researchers saying it was uncommon for any food in the U.S., organic or conventional, to have unsafe levels.
  • But the Frontier Centre authors say that without proof, organic authenticity should be questioned. When large amounts of money are involved, they say, such things as honour systems and the like cannot be relied upon.
  • “The certification bodies are responsible for verifying that organic operators are producing organic products in accordance with Canada’s organic standard,” the CFIA said in a written response.
  • ShiyuandCristina SC on 28 Nov 12
     
    1. Is it fair and better for organic food "businesses" to undergo their own inspections or should the government be responsible for our food safety? 2.The market failure mentioned in this article is an informature market failure. The definition of an informature market failure is when one side of the market has more information than the other. What are some visible solutions to this market failure?
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Aron Joshua Tolentino on 29 Nov 12
     
    1.) It is not fair for organic food businesses to inspect their own goods. By doing that, it will create bias in the inspection results. The government specifically the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) should be regulating the quality of every type of food that can be consumed by human beings. This minimizes bias in the results. 2.) There should be an open relationship within the market the sets the equality information in the market. Technically, trade should be fair, no secrets are valid. If they do not comply with this, law suits can be filed. E.g. fraud, copy right, etc.
  • Dyena Huynh on 30 Nov 12
     
    1. No i don't think it's fair that only the businesses themselves inspect themselves because in doing so, you'd assume that your products are good and therefore put less effort in inspecting them. The government should has some responsibility in inspecting the food because they need to make sure it's safe for people to eat, if they aren't careful with the things they're letting people consume they will run into a lot of health problems. More health problems mean more money to be used. 2. A visible solution to this market failure is to share information so this way it's fair for everyone.
  • Valentina Padure on 14 Dec 12
     
    * It is not fair for organic food companies to inspect their own products since they will obviously never reveal anything bad that could potentially damage the company. It would be like a student marking his own quiz or test, they would do anything they could to benefit their mark. This is why governments should be responsible for our food safety. * A visible solution would be that companies must to share all the information they are aware of with the consumers.
  • Samson Luong on 17 Dec 12
     
    1. It would not be the best idea for businesses to inspect their own food because there is a high possible margin of bias and committing unethical acts such as labeling their foods safe when they aren't are likely to occur. The government should be responsible because they would inspect each business in the same manner without bias and utilize the same procedures, ensuring fair inspections. 2. Visible solutions to this market failure would include sharing product information and inspection information to all producers and consumers.
Erica Yeo

Canada's income gap widens, report says - Canada - CBC News - 0 views

www.cbc.ca/...p-canada-conference-board.html

inequality canada income gap report cbc news challenges

shared by Erica Yeo on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • The income gap between rich and poor in Canada widened in the period from 1993 to 2009
  • The average income of the poorest Canadians rose from $12,400 in 1976 to $14,500 in 2009.
  • the gap between the real average income of the richest 20 per cent of Canadians and the poorest 20 per cent widened from $92,300 in 1976 to $117,500 in 2009.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • high inequality can diminish economic growth if it means that the country is not fully using the skills and capabilities of all its citizens or if it undermines social cohesion, leading to increased social tensions.
  • high inequality raises a moral question about fairness and social justice.
  • The average income in 1976 was $51,100. By 2009, it had increased by 17 per cent to $59,700, even after adjusting for inflation.
  • 32 per cent of the country's national income would need to be redistributed in order to have complete equality of income.
  • The study found inequality is rising worldwide, but that two countries most similar with Canada in terms of per capita income had narrower gaps. Austria's was 0.265 and Denmark's was 0.232.
lebiez piranaj

Canada must address growing income inequality: Broadbent Institute - 1 views

www.vancouversun.com/...story.html

inequality canada income growing poverty address

shared by lebiez piranaj on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Canada is moving in the wrong direction and must address its extreme and growing income inequality, according to a new discussion paper from the Broadbent Institute
  • affordable housing, improvements to Employment Insurance, “fair” taxes and a national prescription drug program — is needed to address the problem.
  • “It’s not as if we don’t have the wealth, but it’s the distribution of the wealth that really matters.”
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • between the mid-1990s and the late 2000s, Canada had the fourth-largest increase in income inequality out of 17 peer countries. Canada was ranked 12th out of those countries, a slip to “below the average.”
  • Most Canadians grew up with the expectations that their son or daughter could be whatever they want to be, whether it’s a hockey player or a brain surgeon … now the reality is, if you want to live the ‘American dream’, you should move to Sweden
  • There is no “single magic bullet,” to achieve greater equality
  • a commitment to equality must come from all levels of government, leadership must come from the feds,
  • The federal government has many of the key levers — especially income security programs, a progressive tax system, and transfers to the province — needed to combat inequality,
lebiez piranaj

Canada Income Inequality: Governments Effective In Softening Wage Gap, Study Says - 2 views

www.huffingtonpost.ca/...lity-government_n_1918093.html

canada income inequality governments wage gap study

shared by lebiez piranaj on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Researchers at the Ottawa-based Centre for the Study of Living Standards looked at how much taxes and government benefits helped to even things out between the rich and the poor in Canada over the past three decades
  • They found that taxes and spending have persistently dampened inequality, but not enough to stop the increase in inequality over time
  • before-tax income inequality rose 19.4 per cent over three decades
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • income inequality was 44 per cent less severe than it would have been if governments had not intervened.
  • Transfer payments – such as old-age benefits or family benefits — were responsible for most of this dampening effect, while taxation accounted for about 30 per cent of the reduction
  • Governments were most active in redistribution of income in 1994, they found. If they had kept up that level of redistribution, they would have eliminated half of the rise in inequality over three decades
  • Canada ranks 24th out of 35 countries in terms of equality in the late 2000s
  • Canada was one of the least active countries in terms of using tax or transfer policy to redistribute income, ranking 25th out of 30 countries.
  • lebiez piranaj on 18 Jan 13
     
    This article talks about how the government is doing very good with reducing the inequality with the tax cuts and all but that they could be more aggressive. It's suggesting that we need a new redistribution plan but mainly focuses on what it counts to be the most important thing in getting rid of the debt, the governments role in all this. Asks questions like what if the government had made different decisions. 
faseehthemoonman

Bank of Canada warns of rate increase, flags debt concerns - The Globe and Mail - 1 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article4630682

globe mail bank canada rate increase consumer

shared by faseehthemoonman on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • The Bank of Canada has laid out a clearer path for interest rates, pushing back the timing of an eventual increase
  • Bank of Canada’s benchmark rate from its current setting of 1 per cent.
  • 167 per cent
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Households need to slow their borrowing on their own, or else the Bank of Canada will give them reason to do so
  • anada’s gross domestic product grew at annual rates of 1.8 and 1.9
  • Since April, the Bank of Canada had been talking about a potential rate increase in the context of an “economic expansion” that failed to achieve
  • forecast for economic growth this year to 2.2 per cent from 2.1 per cent
ShiyuandCristina SC

Rich-poor gap could spark financial crisis in Canada: Report | Money | Toronto Sun - 1 views

www.torontosun.com/...ancial-crisis-in-canada-report

income inequality gap canada shiyu luo

shared by ShiyuandCristina SC on 14 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • The gap between the rich and the poor in Canada is getting wider and could eventually lead to an economic collapse, according to a new report by a left-wing think-tank.
  • Income for middle-class Canadians has remained stagnate since the 1980s, while the income of the richest 1% has increased dramatically
  • When the rising savings of the rich are parked in the financial markets, but everyone else falls deeper into debt, a house of cards is created, producing the kind of economic instability that led to the 1929 financial sector crash and the market meltdown of 2008."
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • As a result, Canada's income inequality has reached a level not seen since the 1920s, says Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
  • ShiyuandCristina SC on 14 Jan 13
     
    The problems created by income inequality in Canada could possibly lead to a financial crisis. 
lebiez piranaj

Canada Household Debt Much Higher Than Previously Thought; Housing Bubble Bust-Out Now ... - 2 views

www.huffingtonpost.ca/...-housing-bubble_n_1967269.html

Canadian debt finds higher housing bubble thought money household

shared by lebiez piranaj on 18 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Canadians, you’re more indebted than you think.
  • StatsCan now says household debt amounted to 163.4 per cent of household income in the second quarter, up from 161.8 per cent in the first
  • Canadians are now carrying more debt than Americans and Brits were at the peak of their housing bubble half a decade ago
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • A recent Capital Economics report estimated a construction slowdown would cost 115,000 jobs across Canada
  • lebiez piranaj on 18 Jan 13
     
    Canadians are more than ever drown in debt. When it comes to comparing with the neighbor (US) we are carrying more debt than them. Market observers argued that Canadian consumers will no longer be able to hold up rising household debt.
Brijesh Patel

Canadas Unemployment rates drops to 4 year low - 0 views

www.ctvnews.ca/...-drops-to-4-year-low-1.1100775

unemployment rate

shared by Brijesh Patel on 18 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Brijesh Patel on 18 Jan 13
     
    The Canadian economy created 40,000 jobs in December -- all of it in full-time work -- and drove the unemployment rate to its lowest in four years, Statistics Canada said Friday. The federal agency said the national unemployment rate slipped by one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.1 per cent, its lowest level since December 2008 Statistics Canada reported last month that the economy grew just 0.1 per cent in October after a flat reading in September and a 0.1 per cent contraction in August. Compared with a year earlier, Statistics Canada said there were 312,000 more jobs, all in full-time work.
faseehthemoonman

High unemployment to persist in Canada: analysts | CTV News - 1 views

www.ctvnews.ca/st-in-canada-analysts-1.581245

unemployment canada

shared by faseehthemoonman on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • unemployment rate bobbing within a narrow band 0.1 percentage points above or below eight per cent.
  • unemployment rate will average 7.7 per cent next year and will still be above seven per cent in 2013, long after the economy has returned to normal.
  • rate of joblessness approaches 17 per cent
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Although Canada has recouped the more than 400,000 jobs that vanished during the downturn, there are still more than 300,000 officially
  • He notes that the biggest hit on jobs since the 2008 crisis has been to manufacturing, warehousing and transportation -- three related industries
  • The new full employment level is likely a rate of about seven per cent, agrees Douglas Porter of BMO Capital Markets, as opposed to six to 6.5 per cent before the recession.
  • According to his forecast, Canada's unemployment rate will reach that level by the end of 2012, when the Bank of Canada estimates the economy will be back at full capacity.
tyler wiliams

Income inequality rising quickly in Canada - 1 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article618311

income inequality canada challenges

shared by tyler wiliams on 18 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • tyler wiliams on 18 Jan 13
     
    From the mid 1990's - late 2000's Canada had the fourth largest increase in income inequality among it's peers. Income inequality, along with corruption, were named as the two most serious challenges facing the world at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. the impact of the growing income gap has gather little attention in Canada market forces and globalization are increasing disparity, along with institutional shifts such as dwindling unionization rates and stagnating minimum wages.
S C

Youth unemployment: a serious problem in Canada - Yahoo! Finance Canada - 1 views

ca.finance.yahoo.com/...-problem-canada-182837006.html

youth unemployment canada yahoofinance

shared by S C on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Canadian job market is faring well unless you're a student seeking well-paying summer work or a graduate
  • Canada's total jobless rate currently sits at an acceptable 7.4 per cent. But for those in the 15- to 24-age bracket, the unemployment figure is much higher: 14.7 per cent.
  • Typically, youth unemployment is double that of the national average
  • ...24 more annotations...
  • the obstacles youth must overcome to finding gainful employment — be it temporary summer work or a permanent position — has never been more daunting.
  • the youth are always the hardest hit and they take the longest time to get out from under the recession impact on employment.
  • There's just not enough (jobs) to go around. So if students aren't out there early and aggressively they won't get one
  • f you've graduated (from college or university) and you want to start paying off your (student loan) debt and get on with your life, it's very difficult to do that on a part-time job."
  • "There's a lot of part-time activity happening but i
  • Parents would've expected their 20-something children to be independent but they're just not able to do that
  • "Hopefully, both parents are working and they're able to stay at home but for a lot of young people that's just not possible."
  • in big cities like Toronto, there are more youth seeking out homeless shelters
  • Job experience tends to be the biggest hurdle for the 15- to 24-year-old age group when it comes to impressing an employer.
  • "There are a lot of youth that are still demanding that they get paid for entry-level work assignments. I think that that is a bad choice for youth.
  • The first couple of jobs they do by way of an unpaid intern gives them a leg up," Parker says.
  • Many of those unpaid intern programs end up as full-time, paying careers for them and every major employer across the country has dedicated unpaid intern programs.
  • Work experience is absolutely critical. No matter what you graduated with, if you don't have real work experience you're going to have a challenge."
  • Meanwhile, there's little help coming from provincial and the federal government these days it seems. Austerity budgets at the both government levels are seeing civil servants laid off.
  • there's no encouragement at this point by the federal government for the private sector to do job creation (for youth).
  • What you study can be the difference
  • If young people choose to go the route of college, they can get excellent job skills and they have a higher placement rate directly from college into work.
  • current and future post-secondary students need to take a hard look at what their course of study is and whether or not it'll lead to employment upon graduation.
  • "When I talk to high school teachers and guidance councillors about the kind of programs being offered to youth talk about 'what's your dream job?' versus educating kids on what jobs will be available to them," she says.
  • Know how to sell yourself
  • the secret to landing a job is in knowing how to sell oneself.
  • "You have to be as competitive as someone who's been in the job market for 10 years," she says. "You've got to know how to do a job search, how to write a résumé, and you need to convince the employer that even though you haven't done a job before that you're a quick-learner and you're creative."
  • *Target respected employers that best matches your skill set
  • *Offer to do free summer work for the sake of gaining experience and don't be picky about what's offered *When applying to post-secondary institutions, choose schools that provide intern programs *Be knowledgeable about where employment demand will be in the future and ensure your skills are also in demand
  • S C on 16 Jan 13
     
    Youth unemployment is high because of little or no job experience, type of major isn't in demand, and not knowing how to sell oneself, which causes problems like 20 year old people living with their parents
Erica Yeo

Federal Budget 2012: It's time to address income inequality, think-tank says - thestar.com - 0 views

www.thestar.com/...ome-inequality-think-tank-says

inequality canada income gap challenges star

shared by Erica Yeo on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Income inequality in Canada is at a 30-year high, rising at a faster pace than in the U.S.
  • The group urges the government to tackle this situation with wide-ranging reforms to the tax system.
  • The CCPA’s proposals include raising the income tax rate for those making more than $250,000 a year, repealing corporate income tax cuts, reducing capital gains tax breaks
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • to address poverty through improved education, pension, affordable housing and pharmacare programs. It also urges Ottawa to adopt a national child care plan.
  • scrap costly programs like new prisons and fighter jets that don’t reflect the priorities of mainstream Canada.”
Erica Yeo

The widening gap in Canada's labour market - The Globe and Mail - 1 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article4104784

inequality canada challenges skillsgap solutions globeandmail

shared by Erica Yeo on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • A fault line is splintering Canada’s labour market into those who can’t find work and those who can’t find workers.
  • employers across the country say they can’t find the right workers for all kinds of available jobs.
  • Groups with high jobless rates such as aboriginal people, recent immigrants and those with disabilities are struggling to land good jobs, limiting their ability to climb the economic ladder.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • At the same time, employers from Newfoundland and Labrador to the Prairies say shortages are constraining their ability to grow, innovate and compete.
  • Structural shifts in the labour market mean “workers in declining industries may not have the skills or experience to match immediately the needs of employers in expanding industries,”
  • Unemployment is high, even as the number of job vacancies continues to rise
  • That means more-efficient partnerships between employers and universities and colleges,
  • Despite the presence of the local universities churning out tech graduates, he estimates there are about 1,900 current vacancies for technical jobs in the Kitchener-Waterloo region “that are unfilled and have been for some time.
  • Last month it called on the federal and provincial governments to work with employers to find strategies to overcome expected shortfalls.
  • It says improving skills and workplace training should become a national priority, and recommended more companies make a “strategic decision to take a direct role in creating the skilled workforces and talent pipelines they need.”
  • In Canada, part of the problem is that many people haven’t pursued careers in areas where all the job growth is happening. Mining and energy extraction are, by far, the fastest-growing segments of job growth in Canada over the past year, with employment gains of 5.7 per cent.
  • “The lack of young people pursuing further education in engineering and science and technology, is definitely a strain on our ability to grow,”
  • the labour market imbalance “is the largest threat to our economy,”
  • Without that effort, he estimates 1.5 million jobs could go unfilled in 10 years’ time.
Brijesh Patel

Bank of Canada flags lenders' role in consumer debt - 1 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article6930721

debt

shared by Brijesh Patel on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Canadian families owe nearly $1.65 on average for every dollar of after-tax income, the highest level in 22 years of tracking those figures.
  • the government would no longer insure mortgages that are amortized over a period longer than 25 years.
  • fierce competition for customers caused some major banks to begin offering five-year mortgages at 2.99 per cent, triggering a price war in the sector.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • You should be cautious about your lending practices, because this is the type of practice that led to a mortgage crisis in the United States several years ago,
  • Statistics Canada saying in December that the most recent data suggest Canadian families owe nearly $1.65 on average for every dollar of after-tax income.
  • physically present also have a greater proportion of consumers with too much de
  • The Bank of Canada has been scrutinizing whether competition among
  • The governing council was told about the role that discounting plays in how much individuals pay for their mortgage and notes that there is “substantial dispersion in rates across people, institutions, and markets.”
  • Brijesh Patel on 18 Jan 13
     
    Funding costs rose dramatically during the financial crisis when liquidity dried up, pushing up the costs of consumer and business loans Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tightened the rules on mortgages for a fourth time in four years, saying the government would no longer insure mortgages that are amortized over a period longer than 25 years "Neighbourhoods with more bank branches and payday lenders per capita (i.e. more competition) have looser lending standards (higher leveraged households) and experience greater bankruptcies"
Nikita Klyuev

David Rosenberg's 5 reasons Canada's household debt panic is overblown - 0 views

business.financialpost.com/...sehold-debt-panic-is-overblown

canada consumer debt credit advice

shared by Nikita Klyuev on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Nikita Klyuev on 17 Jan 13
     
    Canadian debt/income ratio isn't as bad as it looks. Because Canadians pay for their health care through their taxes, their disposable income is distorted relative to the U.S. In terms of personal income, the ratio is actually closer to 118%, rather the scary 165%. Canadian household debt relative to assets (19%) and net worth (24%) is below prior peaks of 20% and 25%, respectively. Rosenberg estimates Canada would need to see a 20% drop in the housing market to get net worth/income ratio down to the U.S. level. Canadians have more equity in their homes - 69% of the value compared with 43% in the U.S. "This equity gap is a prime reason why Canadian household net worth/income ratio (at over 500%) is some 35 percentage points above U.S. levels," Rosenberg writes. Canadians are better able to service their debts. Canadian wage growth at 4% a year is about double what it is in the U.S. - a rise that pretty much matches the average interest rate they are paying. The debt-servicing ratio in Canadian households is now just over 7% - a level it has only been below in the past 15% of the time. So even though Canadian interest rates are 75 basis points higher than in U.S, it is not hampering our ability to handle debt.
lebiez piranaj

Canada's Income Inequality: What Is It, And How Bad? - 1 views

www.huffingtonpost.ca/...lity-by-numbers_n_1545900.html

poverty canada income inequality growing

shared by lebiez piranaj on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • income inequality could be “the new global warming.”
  • in the last three decades income for the richest Canadians has increased far faster than it has for the poorest
  • As the income gap widens and rich neighbourhoods become unaffordable for middle- and low-income families, good schools become less accessible
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • As of 2009, the average Canadian family had an after-tax income of $60,000, an increase of 16 per cent from the Canadian average of $52,000 in 1980
  • the top 10 per cent have pulled ahead of the pack
  • The average income that families in the bottom 20 per cent make from employment has decreased by 60 per cent since 1980, whereas the average earnings in the top 10 per cent has grown by 45 per cent
  • Canada’s Gini was estimated to be 0.32 – a middling value
  • More telling is that in the past decade, Canada’s Gini has risen faster than all but five of the OECD’s 34 countries
  • Wilkinson says that as the income gap widens, problems related to social status increase
  • lebiez piranaj on 17 Jan 13
     
    The article talks about how income inequality is increasing in Canada. It talks about how the rich are getting a bigger income over the years then the poor. 
Brijesh Patel

40000 jobs added in december yet umemployment rate falls - 1 views

www.globaltvbc.com/...story.html

unemployment

shared by Brijesh Patel on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • unemployment rate to its lowest in four years,
  • Statistics Canada reported last month that the economy grew just 0.1 per cent in October after a flat reading in September and a 0.1 per cent contraction in August.
  • December saw 41,200 new full-time jobs added, while the number of part-time positions fell by 1,400.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Compared with a year earlier, Statistics Canada said there were 312,000 more jobs, all in full-time work.
  • The gains were made in the transportation and warehousing segment which added 22,000 jobs, while the construction industry gained 18,000 jobs.Professional, scientific and technical services lost 42,000, while public administration dropped 13,000.
  • Brijesh Patel on 18 Jan 13
     
    Capital Economics, which has one of the most bearish outlooks on the Canadian economy, noted the strong jobs growth was in stark contrast to the other recent economy data. The federal agency said the national unemployment rate slipped by one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.1 per cent, its lowest level since December 2008 The recent strength of employment growth will probably convince the Bank of Canada to stick with its existing position that interest rates will eventually need to rise at this month's policy meeting
Erica Yeo

Household debt in Canada - 3 views

www.statcan.gc.ca/...11636-eng.htm

consumer debt canada challenges statistics

shared by Erica Yeo on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • In 1980, the ratio of household debt to personal disposable income was 66%; that ratio recently passed the 150% figure (Statistics Canada 2011). This means that, in aggregate, households owed more than $1.50 for every dollar of disposable income.
  • It also examines whether the relationships between debt and financial capability persist when other characteristics like income and educational attainment are taken into account.
  • younger people and parents with children at home were more likely to hold debt. Individuals under 45 made up 45% of the population, but 54% of borrowers. Similarly, married people with children accounted for 30% of the overall population, but 39% of debtors. They were also more likely to have higher levels of debt. Couples with children held one-half of all household debt, with an average debt of $144,600, higher than the overall average of $114,400. Similarly, individuals under 45 held 61% of household debt, $129,200 on average.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Higher education levels were also associated with an increased probability of holding debt and higher average debt. Individuals with at least some postsecondary education comprised about one-half of the population but almost 60% of those with debt. And university graduates had an average debt that was 60% higher than those with less than postsecondary education—$145,400 compared to $90,900.
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