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COVID-19

Canada’s gender pandemic response

Canada introduced unprecedented relief measures in the early days of the pandemic. Did they address the pandemic's heavy toll on women and other marginalized communities?

Inequality makes crises worse—and there are many crises coming

We're heading into an increasingly unstable world, and we're going to need real solidarity to make it through.

Poverty in the Midst of COVID-19

For policy-makers, perhaps the most obvious lesson of the pandemic is that poverty, including child poverty, can be reduced much more quickly than Ontario has done in recent years. Timid policies that unfold incrementally over decades are of no use to children who will be grown up before we finally get around to taking action.

Low pay driving career changes among women workers

Bumpy Ride Fall 2022 Update #7: Women workers are changing industries—and they're looking for better pay

The crisis in the care economy shows no sign of letting up

Bumpy Ride Fall 2022 Update #6: Workers in the care economy have been battered over the past two years, and that crisis shows no signs of slowing.

Women’s earnings lag behind high rates of inflation

Bumpy Ride Fall 2022 Update #5: Women's salaries are failing to keep up with inflation—a look at the latest numbers

Pourquoi les licences obligatoires seraient-elles insuffisantes dans l’avenir ?

Manifestement, la mise en pratique des licences obligatoires est loin d’être une panacée.

The pandemic has accelerated the exit of older workers

Bumpy Ride Fall 2022 Update #4: A new trend is emerging—women workers taking early retirement, especially in pandemic-affected industries.

Low-wage workers are most exposed to spiralling costs

Bumpy Ride Fall 2022 Update #3: Fall 2022 labour force data shows that pandemic-vulnerable sectors still have not recovered from COVID-19.

A tale of two pandemics: the rich and the rest of us

On the whole, Canada’s richest one per cent got a decent raise in the first year of the pandemic; the bottom 50 per cent? Not so much.

The racialized employment gap is narrowing but barriers persist

Bumpy Ride Fall 2022 Update #2: Looking at the racialized employment gap among women workers in the Fall 2022 labour force data

Women’s employment rate trending below spring highs

Bumpy Ride Fall 2022 Update #1: Labour market data from Fall 2022 shows an uneven recovery for women workers.

An unexpected consequence of the pandemic: Poverty declined sharply in Canada

Pandemic supports, mostly from the federal government, contributed to the largest one-year reduction in poverty in nearly 50 years.

Non-viable businesses need an"off-ramp"

Throughout the pandemic, many small- and medium-sized businesses have weathered the storm, thanks to federal government help. In his deputation to Canada's federal Industry Committee, David Macdonald says it's time to give those businesses an "off-ramp".

Truth bomb: Corporate sector winning the economic recovery lottery; workers falling behind

This isn’t a workers’ wage-led recovery; in fact, inflation is eating into workers’ wages, diminishing their ability to recover from the pandemic recession. Corporate profits are capturing more economic growth than in any previous recession recovery period over the past 50 years.

A bumpy ride

Bumpy Ride Spring 2022 Update: An analysis of the experiences of female workers from 2019 to 2021 reveals that Canada’s economic recovery has proven to be as unequal as the initial downturn.

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