This study evaluates Nova Scotia’s fiscal situation and finds the government has misidentified the economic challenges facing the province. Instead of austerity, it argues that what Nova Scotia really needs is sustainable economic development, good jobs and a sturdy social safety net.
Growth is shaped by a confluence of factors, including working age population, labour force participation, employment — in both the private and public sectors. Rather than being the problem, Nova Scotia’s public sector is giving a boost to overall employment growth, when the private sector has not stepped up to do its part.Instead of austerity, the study argues that what Nova Scotia really needs is sustainable economic development, good jobs and a sturdy social safety net.
