Michel Cournoyer

Job Report in Canada, December 2017 – Unemployment rate at 5.7%, the lowest since comparable data became available in January 1976

Employment increased for a third consecutive month, up 79,000 in December. The unemployment rate continued on a downward trend, decreasing by 0.2 percentage points to 5.7%, the lowest since comparable data became available in January 1976. The employment increase in December was concentrated in part-time work, which rose by 55,000. The additional employment in December builds on growth observed in October … Continue reading →

L’Emploi au Québec, Décembre 2017 – Le chômage brise encore le record à 4,9 %

Au Québec, l’emploi a augmenté pour le troisième mois consécutif, en hausse  de 27 000 en décembre. En raison du plus grand nombre de personnes en emploi et du moins grand nombre de personnes à la recherche de travail, le taux de chômage a diminué de 0,5 point de pourcentage pour s’établir à 4,9 %, poursuivant une tendance à la baisse marquée … Continue reading →

Scheduled Minimum Wage Increases in Canada – Employment would fall by 60,000 says central bank’s research

This note reviews the channels through which minimum wage increases can affect Canadian economic activity and inflation and assesses the macroeconomic impacts of the scheduled provincial minimum wage increases in the coming years. The key results are as follows: • The macroeconomic impacts of these measures may be significant because about 8 per cent of … Continue reading →

Qualifications Frameworks – A global inventory

This two-volume publication gives an update on the national qualification frameworks around the world. It provides information on national and regional developments as well as selected themes. It  is the result of collaborative work between Cedefop, ETF, UNESCO and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. The 2017 Global Inventory provides some important insights into the … Continue reading →

VET in Europe – Breaking the general education/higher education duality might be a necessary condition to make it more attractive

Survey respondents are generally familiar with vocational education. Most Europeans have heard about VET (86%). While they recognise its heterogeneity, linking it to different statements on when (initial versus continuous) and where it takes place (school versus work-based), VET is generally associated with an education that prepares you for a specific occupation and rarely connected … Continue reading →

Future of Jobs – Views about robots and artificial intelligence, Sweden vs US

Eighty percent of Swedes express positive views about robots and artificial intelligence, according to a survey this year by the European Commission. By contrast, a survey by the Pew Research Center found that 72 percent of Americans were “worried” about a future in which robots and computers substitute for humans. In the United States, where … Continue reading →

Future of Work in US – Roughly three-quarters of Americans think it’s realistic that robots and computers might one day do many jobs

Many Americans expect certain professions to be dominated by automation in their lifetime – but few see their own jobs at risk. Roughly three-quarters of Americans think it’s realistic that robots and computers might one day do many jobs currently done by humans, and sizable majorities expect jobs such as fast food workers and insurance … Continue reading →

Changing Skills Requirements of Jobs – Best international approaches

The world of work is changing in ways that make it increasingly difficult for a large proportion of the workforce to gain and maintain consistent employment. More than ever, existing and future workers need to prepare for the changing skills requirements of jobs. With advancements in technology, the skills profiles within jobs, and the jobs … Continue reading →

France – 13 % des jeunes sortis de formation initiale en 2010 ont obtenu un nouveau diplôme dans les 5 années qui ont suivi

13 % des jeunes sortis de formation initiale en 2010 ont obtenu un nouveau diplôme dans les 5 années qui ont suivi. Ce phénomène, en augmentation constante, témoigne de la valeur que familles, jeunes et institutions continuent d’accorder au diplôme ; il interroge par ailleurs l’étanchéité de la frontière entre formation initiale et continue. 43 % … Continue reading →

Canada – An impending workforce gap

Canada has an impending workforce gap that will be hard to bridge using traditional measures. Workforce expansion has been an especially strong driver of growth in Canada. But with twice as many employees aged 55+ today as in 1997, this will change in coming decades. To grow our workforce at the same rate moving forward, … Continue reading →

Fair Recruitment – ILO’s general principles (video)

Long-Term Youth Unemployment in Europe – The scarring effect

Young people are more affected than other age groups by long-term unemployment. While long-term youth unemployment is certainly not a new policy challenge for Europe, it now affects a wider range of young people than it ever did before, ranging from those with third-level degrees to the most disadvantaged young people. Eurofound’s new report on … Continue reading →

Euro Area job vacancy, Q3.2017 – At 1.9%

The job vacancy rate in the euro area (EA19) was 1.9% in the third quarter of 2017, stable compared with the previous quarter and up from 1.6% in the third quarter of 2016, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the EU28, the job vacancy rate was 2.0% … Continue reading →

Gender Discrimination on the Job in US – 42% of working women have faced

About four-in-ten working women (42%) in the United States say they have faced discrimination on the job because of their gender. They report a broad array of personal experiences, ranging from earning less than male counterparts for doing the same job to being passed over for important assignments, according to a new analysis of Pew … Continue reading →

Canada – The gap in adult skills development system

Canada urgently needs a third pillar that focuses on supporting working adults. The Council anticipates that managing the expected labour market changes will require an additional $15 billion of annual investmentsin adult skills development. The magnitude of the coming changes also necessitates the development of a Skills Plan for Working Canadians that will guide Canada’s … Continue reading →