Public Interest Research Project
Investing trends in health care, education, social programs, crown corporations.
The BC Office’s Public Interest Project is a special research desk staffed by economist Iglika Ivanova, who investigates issues and trends in areas such as health care, education, social programs, and crown corporations. She also examines the relationship between taxation and government spending on public services, and the impact of public services on quality of life.
Creating the conditions for businesses and communities to thrive
- A decent minimum wage
- Improvements to seniors’ care
- A poverty reduction plan
- Reducing surgical wait times
- Investigating precarious employment in BC
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A $15 minimum wage for BC would put a serious dent in working poverty
BC is a prosperous province in a prosperous country, but we have done a poor job of sharing that prosperity. Inequality in BC has increased…
Infographic: The BC government’s lopsided generosity in Budget 2015
Budgets are about choices and priorities. Here is an example of what was revealed in Budget 2015. Read the news release here.
BC Budget 2015 fails to make real investments in British Columbians: economist
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE. VICTORIA–Budget 2015 demonstrates a short-sighted focus on recording a surplus instead of a long-term vision that would address serious social…
Infographic: Natural gas, BC’s gift to multinationals
On Valentine’s Day, as the BC Budget approaches, we’re reminded of some of the most high profile gift giving in BC right now. Read the…
Infographic: On family day, what would it cost to put families first?
In honour of Family Day, and in anticipation of Budget Day, we’ve calculated what it would cost to actually put families first. Read the news…
Working for a Living Wage 2014
Making Paid Work Meet Basic Family Needs in Metro Vancouver Download 1.52 MB8 pages Please note: The updated 2019 Living Wage report is now available. Attachments Living Wage…
2014 living wage calculation: Parents need two minimum wage jobs each to support a family in Metro Vancouver
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE. VANCOUVER – A report released today finds that the wage needed to cover the costs of raising a family in…
Paying a ‘living wage’ is good for everybody
We all want Metro Vancouver to be a livable and sustainable place, for ourselves, our families and our children. However, for many families who work…
Two years in, the BC Jobs Plan is failing to deliver, Chinese version
时间已经过去两年,不列颠哥伦比亚省就业计划难于兑现 作者:伊格利卡·伊万诺娃 (Iglika Ivanova) 2014年1月 在很多地方的文化中,传统上一般新年愿望都是希望实现繁荣。但是经过一年的经济缓慢增长,不列颠哥伦比亚省实际上在失去很多工作岗位,这个省只有很少数家庭能看到此愿望的实现。 至少来说,这么弱的就业市场表现在经济危机四年之后的经济复苏中实属罕见。这导致不列颠哥伦比亚省居民不得不怀疑省政府的龙头经济刺激策略–不列颠哥伦比亚省就业计划,正在面临失败。 我在加拿大政策选择中心(Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)发表的一份新的报告可以就这个问题提供一些答案。 不列颠哥伦比亚省就业计划实施检测报告就2011年9月就业计划宣布实施以来的近两年中劳动力市场表现指标进行了仔细检查,并与经济复苏进度进行了比较。 调查结果显示经济复苏并没有使工作机会增加-- 不列颠哥伦比亚省就业计划并未奏效。尽管全加拿大就业市场复苏的表现已经令人失望,但不列颠哥伦比亚省的表现仍低于全国平均水平。高于经济危机之前水平2%的居高不下的失业率只是冰山的一角。 就业计划实施之后所创造的工作基本上都是临时性工作,并且没有和不列颠哥伦比亚省人口增长速度吻合。就业率(处于工作年龄的不列颠哥伦比亚省居民实际就业的比例)与经济危机发生后最坏的情况相比完全没有变化。实际上,这个省还需要再创造94,000多个工作岗位才能达到危机之前74%的基准水平,而这相当于2010,2011和2012年所创造的工作岗位总和。 就业计划旨在刺激私营部门创造工作岗位,但私营部门实际上却在2013年的前10个月中失去了12,000个工作岗位。私营部门裁员在经济衰退之外的其它时期非常少见。在过去的40年中,在不列颠哥伦比亚省这种情况只在2001年发生过一次,那时候只失去了2,700个工作岗位,与去年相比少很多。 尽管政府在极力吹捧资源部门在创造工作机会方面的作用,但现实却是只有2%的不列颠哥伦比亚省居民直接受雇于采掘、油气开采、森林和伐木业。资源部门在就业市场中所占比例小到即使再增加双倍或三倍的就业机会也不会在本省成为重要的就业部门。 另外,资源部门创造的工作机会大部分都是在项目开始建设之际,所以通过资源部门促进本地经济发展的方式都注定是短命的。并且这些就业机会都要付出沉重的环境代价,会带来北方社区水和空气污染,使气候恶化。 除此之外,有人担心很多这些新的能源部门就业机会会由外国临时工或本国其它地区的技术工人所占据,本地失业工人根本没有机会获得。 尽管外国临时工在不列颠哥伦比亚省只占一小部分份额(2012年12月刚刚超过3%),但经济危机以来,外国临时工的净增加比例却占到所有本省新增就业岗位的29%。这反映出我们在技能培训项目上的严重不足,致使青年和失业工人处于不利境地。 就业计划致力于为原住民提供更多的经济机会,尽管并没有证据显示他们的失业率有明显改善,仍旧保持在14%的水平。就业计划中没有具体提到青年人或新移民所面临的挑战–这两种人是不列颠哥伦比亚省就业困难的群体,他们的就业问题在本届政府所制定的主要经济策略中被严重忽视了。尽管新移民比原住民和青年人承受危机的程度略好一些,但他们仍面临着11%的高达两位数的失业率(相对于加拿大本土出生的人6%的失业率而言)。 就业计划背后的中心设想是政府尽力创造优惠条件去吸引投资者(主要是外资)进而创造就业机会。这个出发点不仅是错的而且对于本省来说作用非常有限。 政府本身可以成为创造就业机会的源泉,正如省长克拉克所指的“第一枚新钱币”。不论是通过雇佣工人来增加更公共服务和使之更便捷,或从企业手中购买商品和服务或通过基础设施项目来创造工作机会,省政府可以利用私营部门分拆招聘和投资来创造就业机会。 随着我们进入失业型经济复苏的第五个年头,很显然不列颠哥伦比亚省的经济复苏策略正面临着失败。不列颠哥伦比亚省的经济策略需要转向一个更加多元,较少环境危害,和使更多不列颠哥伦比亚居民获得高薪和能够养活家庭的工作的策略。…
Two years in, the BC Jobs plan is failing to deliver
It’s traditional in many cultures to usher in the New Year with wishes for prosperity. But after a year of slow growth when the province…
BC Jobs Plan Reality Check: The First Two Years
Download 2.2 MB34 pages This report assesses the impact of the BC Jobs Plan two years in. The government’s six-month progress reports have declared it…
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