Future of work

By September 2020, more than 1.3 million Canadians had been out of work for more than six months. This article suggests that this trend will likely persist because of both the direct impact (e.g., business closures) and indirect impact (e.g., economic decline) of the current health crisis. They focus on key policy concerns and opportunities related to long-term joblessness in the context of a pandemic. Evidence shows that the longer a worker is jobless, the less likely they will be able to transition back into the workforce (negative duration dependence). The authors argue that policy makers should act now to mitigate the risk of long-term impacts on the labour market that disproportionately impact vulnerable groups, such as young workers and low-income Canadians.