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Commodities and resources - 0 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article7263013 Economics commodities resources
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Out west, we’ve had it pretty good. Unemployment is low, incomes are high, and the GDP is set to grow faster than almost anywhere.
  • We are not here for ourselves alone.
  • we focus on what immigrants can do for us (fill jobs) rather than on what we can do for them (provide beautiful communities and the chance to participate in building something amazing).
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • “We must build pipelines. The world needs our oil. Nothing can get in the way. This is not negotiable.” Oil and pipeline companies are running headlong into some unanticipated opposition from folks who don’t see it the same way.
  • That means being a world leader in environmental stewardship, rather than arrogantly comparing ourselves to Nigeria or Sudan and patting ourselves on the back because our human rights are better than theirs.
  • Alberta is in a unique situation. It’s been blessed enormously in resources, wealth, natural beauty and smart people. We really can do anything if we set our minds to it, but not if we do it only for short-term financial gain.
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5 Commodity Stocks Moving On News - Seeking Alpha - 0 views

seekingalpha.com/...ommodity-stocks-moving-on-news commodity canada
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Commodity prices this morning are as follows:Gold: $1668.80/ounce up by $8.20/ounceSilver: $30.77/ounce up by $0.362/ounceOil: $94.17/barrel up by $0.61/barrelRBOB Gas: $2.7461/gallon up by $0.0066/gallonNatural Gas: $3.355/MMbtu up by $0.028/MMbtu
  • This weekend we saw where Carl Icahn has taken a 1.56% stake in Transocean (RIG) and is seeking to gain regulatory approval to purchase a larger stake which would take his holdings to over 5% of the company.
  • Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) did not pop above $10/share and hold and did in fact begin a pullback towards $9.50/share starting last Thursday (the same day we wrote about the crossroads the stock was at - see here).
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Toronto stock market advances, commodities rise | CP24.com - 0 views

www.cp24.com/...ces-commodities-rise-1.1108337 commodities rise canada
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • es for higher demand pushed up commodity prices. Strong demand for commodities from
  • Gold prices also climbed with the February contract up $22.50 to US$1,678 an ounce, pushing the gold sector ahead about 2.2 per cent. Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G) climbed $1.26 to C$36.68 while Iamgold Inc. (TSX:IMG) gained 20 cents to $10.73.
  • The energy sector was ahead 0.44 per cent while the February crude contract gained 72 cents to US$93.82 after earlier hitting a three-month high of US$94.70 a barrel. Prices also got a boost from a report that Saudi Arabia cut its crude production by nearly five per cent last month to the lowest level in 19 months.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Suncor Energy (TSX:SU) was 31 cents higher at C$33.58 while Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) advanced 51 cents to $26.69.
  • The information technology sector gained 1.4 per cent with Research In Motion Ltd. (TSX:RIM) ahead 39 cents to $11.79.
  • In Canada, Astral Media Inc. (TSX:ACM.A) said Thursday that its first-quarter profit was $59.6 million or $1.05 per share, beating analyst estimates. Revenue rose to $274.5 million, which was about $3 million below analyst estimates but higher than a year before. The company has a friendly deal with BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE), which is seeking regulatory approval to buy Astral for about $3.38 billion. Astral edged up 31 cents to $47.21.
  • Canadian pharmaceutical chain Jean Coutu Group (TSX:PJC.A) on Thursday reported stronger sales and a quarterly profit that beat analyst estimates by a penny per share.
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Canada's dirty economic secret: we're as indebted as the rest of you | Colin Horgan | C... - 0 views

www.guardian.co.uk/...ada-dirty-economic-secret-debt canada consumer debt
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • is acknowledged to have weathered the economic storm better than any other major western economy, bank bailouts have been avoided, sustained growth has returned,"
  • "highest credit rating in the world,
  • Canada learned some sound policy lessons from its own financial and economic meltdowns in the latter decades of the 20th century, a lot of us are now personally up to our eyeballs.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Canadian "household debt as a percentage of disposable income has risen by almost 60 percentage points to 165% today,"
  • The bulk of this rise in debt – 66%, or $636 bn – has been in the form of mortgage debt, putting Canadians in an uncomfortable neighbourhood
  • between Spain and the United States in the ranking of household mortgage debt,"
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Raising Interest Rates? Canada's Impending Household Debt Crisis | Global Research - 0 views

www.globalresearch.ca/...5318278 crisis canada consumer debt
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • If the bank feels you can pay $2,000 a month on a mortgage, then you generally qualify for the loan, if you have the right credit record and collateral.
  • It is worth noting here that the money your bank loans for a mortgage is created out of thin air at the push of a button. They do not lend the money of their depositors for this.
  • interest charges are built into just about every product and service available. Higher interest rates means businesses would have to charge more to recover their loan costs.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • For an extreme example of what can happen one only has to turn back the clock to the 1980s, when 20% interest rates destroyed many businesses and individual lives;
  • it is the average consumer that is blamed for the problems created by the so-called experts.
  • one could take each aforementioned quote by the experts, reword it to mean the exact opposite, and thereby have a better understanding of the situation.
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Canadian consumer debt climbs to record levels in 2012 | CTV News - 0 views

www.ctvnews.ca/...ecord-levels-in-2012-1.1093975 canadian consumer record debt levels
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • That's about the level reached in the United States before the financial crisis.
  • the household debt to income ratio stood at 164.6 per cent,
  • navigated through the risks so far, but the time has come to pay off your bills before that happens.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The Bank of Canada is expected to keep its key rate on hold for now, giving Canadians a window to start reducing their debts before costs start to rise.
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Paying down debt Canadians' main focus in 2013: poll - The Globe and Mail - 1 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article6841809 down paying debt
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Managing day-to-day spending/budgeting came in third, selected by eight per cent of respondents and down from 14 per cent last year.
  • 45-64 named retirement planning as their top financial priority, which fell to just 12 per cent among that age group in this year’s survey.
  • “Even small contributions today can make it easier in future years to reach your retirement savings goals,”
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • debt management increased as a priority for that age group to 18 per cent from 14 per cent.
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Bank of Canada's Tiff Macklem warns on soft economic momentum | Economy | News | Financ... - 0 views

business.financialpost.com/...n-housing-market-consumer-debt economy
shared by Cristina Raileanu on 17 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • “The strength and durability of the pick-up in growth through 2013 and beyond will depend critically on how successful we are in regearing our growth to exports, investment and innovation.”
  • Bank of Canada senior deputy governor Tiff Macklem said Thursday the economy is expected to pick up this year, but sounded a note of caution amid a soft housing market and weak export demand.
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For richer, for poorer | The Economist - 1 views

www.economist.com/21564414 gini coefficient disparities inequality income distribution
shared by lebiez piranaj on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • the share of national income going to the richest 1% of Americans has doubled since 1980
  • rise in disparities all along the income distribution
  • best-known way of measuring inequality is the Gini coefficient
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • global inequality has started to fall even as inequality within many countries has risen
  • inequality rises in the early stages of industrialisation as people leave the land
  • inequality has been on the rise for three decades
  • people at the bottom and even in the middle of the income distribution are falling behind not just in relative but also in absolute terms
  • Too often high-tax welfare states turned out to be inefficient and unsustainable
  • Europe France’s new president, François Hollande, wants a top income-tax rate of 75%
  • The mainstream consensus has long been that a growing economy raises all boats
  • of the tendencies that are harmful to sound economics, the most seductive and…poisonous is to focus on questions of distribution
  • Some societies are more concerned about equality of opportunity
  • The unstable history of Latin America, long the continent with the biggest income gaps, suggests that countries run by entrenched wealthy elites do not do very well
  • America’s presidential election is largely being fought over questions such as whether taxes should rise at the top
  • a big driver of today’s income distributions is government policy
  • a lot of today’s inequality is inefficient
  • reflects market and government failures that also reduce growth
  • it is about attacking cronyism and investing in the young
  • lebiez piranaj on 16 Jan 13
     
    The article talks about how inequality may have decreased worldwide but it is increasing more and more in specific countries, Canada has fairly high inequality and there are propositions to tax the rich or redistribute income using other strategies. 
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5 Things to do when you're unemployed. Hint: It's not job hunting. | Penelope Trunk Blog - 0 views

blog.penelopetrunk.com/...loyed-hint-its-not-job-hunting things to do unemployed job hunting
shared by S C on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • the interview question: What happened at your last job?Here's the answer you should always give: “I left to do x.” And you fill in for x
  • what you should be really focusing on when you are unemployed: Learning and growing
  • Because this is what you are going to talk about in job interviews
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • when you talk about why you left the last company, you spin it in a positive light by talking about how you are excited about doing what you are doing. Your interview should include you telling a good story about focused personal growth, and no one will get stuck on why you left your last job
  • During one stint of unemployment, I worked for free for my boyfriend's company for a couple of hours a day. That way I didn't actually have a gap in my resume; a resume doesn't show part-time or full-time and it doesn't show pay or no pay
  • ocus on ambition and execution and not so much on work per se
  • The company that never got out of your parent's basement can sit on your resume as professionally as a stint in the Fortune 500. It's all about how you write the bullet points: talk about accomplishments and learning
  • Put your ideas out into the world and connect with people that way. This is why you want to be hired, right? For your ideas. So show them.
  • The reason that people who blog have great careers is that bloggers are always thinking about issues in their industry. Show that side of yourself to people. Blogging takes a lot of time, sure. Bu you have a lot of time. So use it.
  • Do you have a company idea? Try it now. During unemployment. There's nothing stopping you.
  • whether or not your company does well, you'll be able to talk about it in an interview as a huge learning moment
  • Blogging is a great way to keep up in your industry, network without looking desperate
  • High performers practice for interviews
  • Practice talking about yourself with everyone
  • So now you know what you're aiming for, but you need to talk about it with everyone — parties, at the gym, on the phone with friends. When they ask how you're doing, talk about what you're doing like you are in the job interview.
  • What's important to remember here is that no one can tell you what experience you can gain and what you can't. You don't need a job in order to learn cool stuff and be on cool projects. You control what you do with your time and you can make it useful. Talk about that. There is no reason to talk about why the last job didn't work when you can talk about the great things that leaving opened up to you
  • S C on 16 Jan 13
     
    Job hunting for 8 hours a day isn't the ideal way to get rehired. Instead, focus on spinning a positive light on negative questions your next interviewer might ask. For example, when asked why you left your last job, quickly get to why you're interested the one you'er applying for.
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Advice from my mom about job hunting | Penelope Trunk Blog - 1 views

blog.penelopetrunk.com/...-from-my-mom-about-job-hunting advice job hunting
shared by S C on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • there was one resume that was so good, but the guy was too high level for what I needed
  • Then I thought to myself, he’ll definitely get a job soon, and I’d like to have HIS job, so I should send my resume to his company right now.
  • Love, Mom
  • S C on 16 Jan 13
     
    If you know a company will have a vacancy soon, send them your resume!
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10 Things You Need To Do While You're Unemployed - Forbes - 0 views

www.forbes.com/...2 unemployed forbes what do to
shared by S C on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Start your own business.
  • If you have the means to do it, it’s a great résumé booster and a wonderful marketing tool.
  • you can
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • work part-time or full-time depending on whether or not you are able to land a job working for someone else
  • You are also going to learn skills that are transferrable if you do end up working for someone else again.”
  • information technology, engineering, health care, sales, and customer service are among the top areas for hiring nationwide
  • include specific words from the job posting
  • candidates who show up at an interview with ideas demonstrate that they are passionate, knowledgeable, and excited about the opportunity.
  • t’s important to take that extra step to let the employer know you’re interested, and make sure you always send a thank you after an interview
  • set you apart from the pool of candidates
  • most employers use electronic scanning devices to screen and rank candidates
  • A résumé handed to the hiring manager directly from someone within the company is more likely to get noticed
  • tailor your résumé for each position you apply for
  • These types of activities tell the employer that the job seeker is serious about their career development and made the most of their time off
  • S C on 16 Jan 13
     
    The key to getting hired is to make sure employers know you've been using your time and that you're serious about getting the job. It's also important to know how employers hire and build more connections to increase your chances.
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10 Things You Need To Do While You're Unemployed - Forbes - 1 views

www.forbes.com/...d-to-do-while-youre-unemployed unemployed forbes what to do
shared by S C on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • zimbello If you can accomplish the writers list you don’t need corporate. Corporate needs you. Put your skills to work for yourself…far more rewarding. Glen Loock Read the article and loved what it says, “Rely on yourself”. This is a new time and it requires a change in our thought pattern. All ten are great ways gai [...] Philippe Scheimann These are indeed 10 excellent points. I would actually expand in the point of ‘start a professional blog’ by actually ‘establish your presence on the Inter [...] Henry Cameron Chang Great article with a great message. This has been something I’ve been telling people for a long time. Fredick Anquandah Interesting piece of advice there…Thanks for that on ma way to the first step and hope it gets me there… Laura Ede I agree – taking a temporary/contract role is an option that job hunters should consider. After spending 10 years in the Public Sector I was made redundant [...] Susan Keefe Unfortunately, I find myself among the unemployed so articles such as this have consumed a good deal of my time lately. These are great tips, especially fo [...] 20 comments, 12 called-out Comment Now Follow Comments Following Comments Unfollow Comments Comment Now Follow Comments Following Comments Unfollow Comments 2.9k 1.2k 888 gigya_share_button_li
  • vast majority of employers are sympathetic to such circumstances.
  • More than 40% of unemployed job seekers have been out of work for six months or longer
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • But this doesn’t mean you can sit around and wait for a sympathetic employer to offer you work.
  • The key is to get people to see your work and to see what you’re capable of doing
  • “The worry is that employers may think job seekers are losing some of their skills because they haven’t been utilizing them. By volunteering, taking temporary work, or signing up for a class that develops your professional tool kit, you show employers that you’ve made the most of your time and will be ready on day one
  • If you fill the gaps with activities and experience that illustrate how you are still developing your skill sets, the overwhelming majority of employers will look past your unemployment and focus on what you can bring to their team
  • Take a temporary or contract assignment
  • If you do a great job, even if it’s for a temporary job, whoever hired you is more likely to recommend you for a permanent position
  • You never stop learning in your career, so the more technical competence you have, the better
  • showing that you are serious about your work and that you take initiative.” Another advantage to taking a class: It’s a great networking opportunity.
  • When you volunteer for something, you are telling potential employers something about you as a person
  • When companies are hiring, they are looking not only for people who can get the job done but also for people with character and integrity
  • S C on 16 Jan 13
     
    Many employers understand that the recession may worsen some parts of the resume, but they are sympathetic and some ways to better your chances are to take temporary assignments, take a class and volunteer when unemployed
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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
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CBC News - Unemployment statistics - 1 views

www.cbc.ca/...unemployment-stats cbc news unemployment statistics
shared by S C on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Canada's unemployment rate decreased to 7.1 per cent in December
  • S C on 16 Jan 13
     
    CBC's unemployment statistics for Canada and maybe US
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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
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Employment Growth - 1 views

www.conferenceboard.ca/...employment-growth.aspx challenges employment growth
shared by faseehthemoonman on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • By 2050, an estimated one-quarter of the population in industrialized countries will be over the age of 65.
  • significant pressure on its labour market
  • Most of Ireland’s employment gains then were a direct result of foreign direct investment (FDI). Ireland lowered corporate tax rates and integrated into European markets, thus becoming a choice destination for FDI.
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Canadian Consumer Debt Poses Recession Risk, Moody's Analytics Report Says - 0 views

www.huffingtonpost.ca/...-debt-recession_n_1861056.html consumer debt canada challenges huffington
shared by Erica Yeo on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • With Canadians so deep in debt, it would be extremely difficult for domestic spending to pick up slack in the economy if things started to go downhill. That could result in a serious downward spiral in employment levels, household spending and the quantity and quality of credit outstanding, the report says.
  • "Households are spending money they assumed would be coming, then they realize they've run over the cliff because income from exports from these trading partners is not materializing and that's translating to weaker jobs.
  • domestic consumption is usually the more steady contributor to economic growth compared to exports and investment. But this time, household debt is out of control.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Slowing income growth, coupled with a coming rise in interest rates
  • debt service costs will start to eat up a bigger portion of their take home pay, the report says.
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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,
  • “The lack of young people pursuing further education in engineering and science and technology, is definitely a strain on our ability to grow,”
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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Individuals by total income level, by province and territory - 0 views

www.statcan.gc.ca/...famil105a-eng.htm inequality canada income statistics challenges
shared by Erica Yeo on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
    • Erica Yeo
      Erica Yeo on 16 Jan 13
       
      The majority of individuals are earning under $35 000
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