Small, independent businesses are the backbone of our economy. Unfortunately, they’ve become harder to start and struggle to compete with large chains. We’ve been inspired by owner-owned cooperatives that help small businesses thrive.
“Research suggests that COVID-19 is accelerating the greatest wealth transfer in the history of retail, worsening the already unequal distribution of ownership in our society.”
Share with a friend
Related reading
The misleading use of per capita GDP: Numerators, denominators and living standards | Policy Options
Certain partisans have been citing Canada's performance on per capita GDP as evidence of a supposed 'lost decade' and economic mismanagement. In Policy Options, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work Jim Stanford deconstructs this arbitrary and misleading statistic. In the first of a two-part analysis, he explains multiple factors affecting both the numerator and denominator in this headline-grabbing number and how recent trends in GDP per capita say more about rapid immigration than about Canada’s overall economic health.
The perils of per capita GDP: No, Canada is not poorer than Alabama | Policy Options
Some business and political commentators cite a growing gap between the per capita GDP of Canada and the U.S. as evidence of Canada’s purported economic dysfunction. In Policy Options, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work Jim Stanford deconstructs this arbitrary and misleading statistic. In the second of a two-part analysis, he explains how Canada is not poorer than Alabama and how, despite lower economic growth per person, most Canadians earn more, live longer and fare better than Americans.
Workforce shocks are coming. Are we going to retreat—or reinvent?
Many Canadian businesses and workers are facing looming furloughs and layoffs. As CEO of Challenge Factory Lisa Taylor argues, these workforce disruptions should be seen as an opportunity to invest in our workers, in our businesses and industries and in the future we want for our families and communities. We must evolve government programs to incentivize businesses to train and upskill workers to meet new market demands and execute on new strategies, rather than lay those employees off. Recovery from workforce shocks is possible with creative ways to reinvent and transform.