Future of Ontario Job Market

[John]

Over the past 10 years the manufacturing sector in Ontario has lost something like 300,000 jobs.

Is the manufacturing sector effectively dead in this province or can we bring it back?

Is it worth trying to bring back in the face of lower cost/regulation & higher subsidizing regions?

What can be done to get people back to work?

My own view is that we can't compete with southern markets in traditional manufacturing. Wages, regulations, subsidies ,energy rates...they have us beat on any of these, either individually or in combination.

I think we need to have:

-massive income tax cuts to return spending power to the people

-massive cutting of red tape to let businesses do what they need to do grow production for domestic and international markets

-massive privitization...despite how unpopular it would be politically. This doesn't mean selling the LCBO or Hydro to one purchaser to hold a monopoly over all of us. It means breaking them up and letting large and small firms come in/spring up to meet demand

-a slowdown to public sector growth. 50% of our budget is wages.

These are just some ideas. I'm sure you all might have more.

I'd love to hear them.

[Ash74]

I could not agree more. But politicians loathe to give up power and our money. Those regulations that have strangled many businesses give the government bureaucrats the power they feel entitled too.

Edited March 10, 2015 by Charles Anthony
deleted quote of re-copied Opening Post

[eyeball]

Until such time as we outlaw in-camera lobbying and invade official secrecy to the extent officials invade our privacy, it just won't matter what we do.

The income gap will continue to widen until there is nothing but a handful of haves and a planet full of have-nots and then we'll have a big war.

[LemonPureLeaf]

Until such time as we outlaw in-camera lobbying and invade official secrecy to the extent officials invade our privacy, it just won't matter what we do.

The income gap will continue to widen until there is nothing but a handful of haves and a planet full of have-nots and then we'll have a big war.

If you want to be a have then get an education. Get a job or start your own company and work hard.

The have boys are nothing but lazy, hand out wanting socialists.

[Michael Hardner]

Cutting taxes won't bring manufacturing back. The government can subsidize local work where it still makes sense, but there are limits to what can be done given our trade agreements. They should be trying to attract digital jobs, though.

[Keepitsimple]

Manufacturing has left Ontario in dribs and drabs over the past 10 years - coinciding with the recession - but also with the McGuinty/Wynne policies. Many companies died a slow deatch with higher energy costs, higher taxes, and to a large degree, Union intransigence in accepting what was going on in the world. The high wage/low skill industries are a thing of the past. Unskilled factory workers should expect to make $40-50K a year - not $70-80K and higher. Companies are setting up shop in smaller towns to make that $40-50K go a lot further.

The Ontario Elections Officer has once again told the Liberals that they should severely limit third party election spending like the Working Family Coalition and the Teachers Unions. That alone would stop the silliness of the government "owing" the Unions. Other provinces have enacted legislation - as has the Federal government. Moderating the power of Unions has a trickle down effect that puts more money in taxpayers pockets - and thus the economy....or conversely, back into Healthcare and other services.

[Moonlight Graham]

Manufacturing shouldn't come back. It's cheaper elsewhere, so why try to resuscitate an almost dead sector in Canada/US? This is called capitalism, this is how the invisible hand works, making goods and costs cheaper. Pain for some at first, but In the end, this will benefit both Canadians and likely also the workers and countries where these jobs move. We should forget about manufacturing and focus on other sectors and industries in the economy to create more jobs and wealth.

[John]

Manufacturing shouldn't come back. It's cheaper elsewhere, so why try to resuscitate an almost dead sector in Canada/US? This is called capitalism, this is how the invisible hand works, making goods and costs cheaper. Pain for some at first, but In the end, this will benefit both Canadians and likely also the workers and countries where these jobs move. We should forget about manufacturing and focus on other sectors and industries in the economy to create more jobs and wealth.

Well said! I couldn't agree more.

I feel that the benefits of our free trade agreements have not been fully realized because politicians have clung to manufacturing and not let the economy diversify as much as it might have.

[Bob Macadoo]

Well said! I couldn't agree more.

I feel that the benefits of our free trade agreements have not been fully realized because politicians have clung to manufacturing and not let the economy diversify as much as it might have.

......ummm b/c they're politicians, so if I lose my job due to market correction so will they......and that's not allowed.

[eyeball]

The cheering and accolades for the transfer of opportunity from developed to developing countries that globalization has facilitated seems a little ironic in the face of the terror at the prospect that doing anything meaningful about climate change will result in a transfer of wealth to the same people our jobs were transferred to.

[LemonPureLeaf]

Its the devolopibg nations who ate the worst polluters. They need to clean up their acts. Canada has done enough.

[John]

The cheering and accolades for the transfer of opportunity from developed to developing countries that globalization has facilitated seems a little ironic in the face of the terror at the prospect that doing anything meaningful about climate change will result in a transfer of wealth to the same people our jobs were transferred to.

Free trade isn't supposed transfer wealth to poorer nations. It is to help raise the standard of living in all countries involved. They get jobs because it is apparently cheaper and easier to produce stuff there and we get cheaper goods. Everybody wins.

The climate change deal would actually be a transfer of wealth to poorer countries and the benefits aren't so transparent. What if they don't use the money for the intended purposes? What if only some of them do? What if we don't see any results? What then? Why are wealthier countries dealing with higher costs for goods/services without seeing any reduction in climate change?

Not so cut and dry...

[Keepitsimple]

The cheering and accolades for the transfer of opportunity from developed to developing countries that globalization has facilitated seems a little ironic in the face of the terror at the prospect that doing anything meaningful about climate change will result in a transfer of wealth to the same people our jobs were transferred to.

As opposed to giving money to third-world countries to be used dubiously, I cling to that old-fashioned approach of having people earning money.

[guyser]

So...going to get that third world country to come over and sweep your porch ? Wash the car?

[John]

So...going to get that third world country to come over and sweep your porch ? Wash the car?

I doubt it...but maybe they can produce "green" products which will help me sweep my own porch and wash my own car.

[eyeball]

As opposed to giving money to third-world countries to be used dubiously, I cling to that old-fashioned approach of having people earning money.

Me too, I cling to other old ways too, like rolling out the guillotines from time to time and shoving tilted playing fields back onto level ground when they get to far out of whack.