Wages are rising faster in Quebec than elsewhere in the country, with a growth rate of 6.9% in December, compared to about 5% in Canada. The labor shortage is worse here than in other Canadian provinces and even elsewhere in the world,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
According to his estimates, the demographic curve of Quebec will ensure that we will still be talking about a labor shortage in ten years. Today, one in five Quebecers is over 65; in 10 years, it will be one in four. \u201cQuebec is losing contracts, Quebec is losing investments because it lacks workers,\u201d notes Mr. Blackburn. An increase in the unemployment rate, due to a possible recession, would not significantly change the labor shortage, he said.<\/p>\n
Follow the example of France for retirement? A reflection of society is also in order in Quebec, according to Karl Blackburn, while the French government is trying to push back the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. “We would be crazy not to address this issue,” he says, even though the retirement age in Quebec is already 65 years old.<\/p>\n
Pressure on the labor market and on pensions could be eased by bringing experienced workers back to work, according to Blackburn. This return to work could be encouraged by incentives, he believes. \u201cUntil we manage to increase the rate of workers, we will find ourselves in this situation,\u201d says Karl Blackburn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"