Browsing by Author "Nelson, Adam"
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Item Embargo Public Policy and Labour Shortages in Alberta(2012-09) Nelson, Adam; McKenzie, KennethOver the last decade, Alberta has been experiencing sector-specific, and at times, economy-wide labour shortages. These shortages are projected to increase over the coming decades, leading to concerns about the impact they could have Alberta's future economic growth and prosperity. This topic has been considered by academics, as well as governmental and nongovernmental bodies, although a majority of the work was done prior to the 2008-2009 Global Economic Crisis. While there is some debate about the scope of the issue, there is a general consensus that some type of government intervention into the province's labour market will be necessary. It is argued here that the proposed policies should be evaluated in terms of whether their impact is short- or long-term. These policies range from refonn of social programs and increasing labour mobility to increasing international immigration and economic diversification. It is clear that none of these proposals on their own, or even together, will completely solve the issue but with the co-operation of other levels of government, the private sector and workers, the negative impacts of these shortages will be less severe.