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Best Employers for Diversity: The Toronto Star has published a special section on the 25 companies with the most successful diversity programs. The programs encourage workplace inclusiveness of any of five groups -- women, visible minorities, the disabled, aboriginal and gays and lesbians. The articles feature seven of the companies with a description of their diversity programs. The companies featured are: TD Canada Trust, Catholic Children's Aid Society, Blake, Cassels & Graydon, Proctor & Gamble, KPMG, HSBC Bank and the Toronto Police Service.
Link: Best employers for diversity, Toronto Star, April 3, 2008.
Married Women's Gender-Role Attitudes Affect their Income: A recent study by two business professors has found a difference among married women's earnings depending upon their gender-role attitudes. According to the authors, “traditional women who place primary importance on their household responsibilities are likely to exert more energy in the household sphere and thus have lower earnings relative to egalitarian women who spend a greater amount of their energy in the work sphere.”
Links: “ Does saying “I do” have different monetary implications for men and women?” Richard Ivey School of Business, March 19, 2008, Media Release. All in the family, all in the workplace A new paradigm,” by Virginia Galt, Globe and Mail, April 4, 2008.
Responding to Canada's Skills Shortages and an Aging Workforce: A recent report tabled in the House of Commons looks at the skills shortages that are expected to emerge as Canada's labour force ages. A wide range of employability issues are covered, including investments in human capital, increased labour force participation, worker mobility, the recognition of foreign workers' credentials, immigration and the use of temporary foreign workers. The report proposes measures to increase the participation of under-represented groups as well as increased investments in education and training.
Links: Employability in Canada: Preparing for the Future, a report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, House of Commons Canada, 39th Parliament, 2nd Session, April 2008 (224 pages, PDF); News Release .
Apprenticeship Futures Commission of Manitoba: Manitoba's Apprenticeship Futures Commission has released its report on modernizing and expanding Manitoba 's apprenticeship system to meet the needs of the province's growing labour market. Recommendations include increasing training to meet the projected need for skilled trades people, creating a comprehensive public promotion and education campaign about apprenticeship, and creating incentives to encourage increased employer participation in the apprenticeship system.
Links: Meeting Tomorrow's Needs, Apprenticeship Futures Commission, Presented to The Minister, Manitoba Competitiveness, Training and Trade, March 2008 (181 pages, PDF); News release.
Investment in Workers' Skills: The Canadian Policy Research Networks has published the results of a roundtable discussion on employer investment in workplace learning. The report, which draws on employer associations, labour, government and educational institutions, calls for greater investments in skills and knowledge by employers.
Link: Employer Investment in Workplace Learning: Report on the Toronto Roundtable by Ron Saunders, Canadian Policy Research Networks, April 3, 2008 (15 pages, PDF).
The State of Western Canada 2008: According to a study by The Canada West Foundation major demographic and economic trends are changing the face of western Canada . The study found that a demographic transformation is occurring in western Canada as the population ages, an increasing proportion of immigrants to Canada live in the west, and interprovincial migration is increasing population growth. The study also looks at the strong economic growth in this region that remains a resource-based economy, although over 80 per cent of job gains in the last five years have been in service industries. The report provides detailed information about individual western provinces, the region as a whole, how the region has changed and how it compares to other parts of the country.
Link: State of the West 2008, March 28, 2008, full text available on the Canada West Foundation website.
A Recommendation for a New Trade Policy for Canada: A study released by the C.D. Howe Institute examines current trade policy and trade agreements between Canada and the United States. The authors conclude that Canada needs to pursue a bilateral initiative with the United States that would include a new border regime, a joint regulatory agenda.
Link: Navigating New Trade Routes: The Rise of Value Chains and the Challenges for Canadian Trade Policy, by Bill Dymond and Michael Hart, C.D. Howe Institute, March 27, 2008 (32 pages, PDF)
Visible and Ethnic Minorities in Canada: A study of ethnic and visible minorities derived from the 2006 Census demonstrates the growing diversity of the Canadian population. Visible minorities, who make up 16.2 per cent of the total population, are growing at a rate five times faster than the rest of the population. Ninety-six percent of visible minorities live in urban areas, with two cities, Toronto and Vancouver, accounting for 60 per cent of the total.
Links: Canada's Ethnocultural Mosaic, by Tina Chui, Hélène Maheux and Kelly Tran, Statistics Canada, April 2, 2008 (36 pages, PDF); “Facing up to a new identity” by Unnati Gandhi, Globe and Mail, April 3, 2008.
Commuting to Work in Canada: A report based on the 2006 Census reveals that while the majority of Canadians commute to work by car, there is a small increase in the number of workers using public transit. The report also found that people are commuting longer distances than in the past.
Links: Commuting Patterns and Places of Work of Canadians, by Louise Marmen, Jimmy Ruel and Martin Turcotte, Statistics Canada, April 2, 2006 (42 pages, PDF); “Reversing century-long trend, fewer people driving cars to work” by Jeff Gray, Globe and Mail, April 3, 2008.
Census of Trusteed Pension Funds, 2006: Statistics Canada has released its biennial survey of employer-sponsored pension funds. Financial data produced by the survey provide an on-going indication of the growth and investment patterns for this source of retirement income. Data on the revenues, expenditures, assets, number of funds and membership of the employer pension funds surveyed are classified by type of plan, sector (public or private) and contributory status.
Link: Available on CANSIM : tables 280-0005 to 280-0007.