Friday Morning Links

Assorted content for your Friday reading.

- Julian Beltrame writes about the reality that Canada has multiple workers available to fill every job - with an assist from Erin Weir:

The case for job shortages in Canada became thinner Tuesday with the most recent data showing vacancies actually fell to 200,000 at the start of the year, meaning there were 6.5 unemployed workers chasing each opening.
...
“This is a striking low job vacancy number and it really casts doubt on this idea that we have a labour shortage,” said Erin Weir, a labour economist with the United Steelworkers union.

“I think most of this idea of labour shortages is based on anecdotes from the business community. They might have a different definition of a labour shortage. Employers might believe that if they can’t get the employees they want at the wages they are prepared to offer — that’s a labour shortage.”

...

“There’s always the possibility of a specific shortage of specific skills in a particular location, but of course the long-term solution is for more local residents to acquire the needed skills, or for workers with those skills to relocate to that area,” he said.

“The temporary foreign workers program actually works against that by often allowing employers to fill vacancies without offering training or increasing wages.”

- Meanwhile, Alison points out the connection between CBC's Amanda Lang and a group which has relentlessly been promoting the offshoring of Canadian jobs.

- Glen McGregor and Stephen Maher report that the Cons' preferred contractors don't look to be any more competent or socially responsible than the governing party itself - as the main telemarketer for the Cons is facing bankruptcy while owing nearly $1 million in unpaid taxes and wage assessments.

- Finally, Sean Shaw makes the case for Saskatoon to invest in sorely-needed roads and other infrastructure, rather than buying into the constant Chamber of Commerce demand for perpetually-lower taxes.