The Fraser Institute's “The Illusion of Alberta’s Job Recovery” has to be one of the most gaslighting reports ever produced.
The Report states from 2014 to 2018 Alberta’s employment growth has increased by 79,000 new government jobs (23% increase) while private sector jobs have decreased by 3%. Government’s share of total employment is 23%, private sector and self-employed 77%. They then compare this to Saskatchewan’s government jobs increase of 2.1%.
Fact check: Alberta population 4.084 million in 2014, 4.307 million in 2018 (223,000 increase). Alberta births 55,574 in 2014, 56,239 in 2018. Saskatchewan population in 2014 was 1.113 million, 2018 was 1.162 million (49,000 increase) . Saskatchewan births in fiscal 2014 was 15,157, 15,693 in fiscal 2018. Alberta birth and population growth rates have been increasing while death rates are declining. In first 20 years of life education and medical care are not mutually exclusive but both must occur simultaneously thus requiring more employees.
Death rates are declining so people living longer with greater medical needs require more medical care. Alberta comparison to Saskatchewan is moronic. Ever increasing population and birth rates (second highest in Canada) require increases in education, medical care, police and firefighter services to support that population. It has nothing to do with socialism. The Alberta employment crisis affects everyone in different ways. Public sector employees are not immune. They also have problems selling their houses. Education and medical care employees suffer emotional and psychological stress in their jobs when they have to deal with the pain of unemployed private sector persons and children.
While private sector unemployed with children will receive higher Canada Child Benefits private sector unemployed unattached persons with no children receive nothing in comparable benefits. Families with combined private and public sector spouses likely still have one person employed. Public sector employed help support private sector unemployed by paying taxes. T
he opinion writer states jobs growth via socialism is trying to magically make unemployment disappear by simply having 100% government jobs. This is a false because some would be unhappy that they couldn’t increase their incomes and benefit levels to that of corporate and wealthy private sector elites.To prevent chaos there are vital services for the public good that should be free of entrepreneurship and shareholder ideology like airline safety, food inspection, disease outbreaks (measles). These public services are not defined by socialism
Lin Gackle
