This is a bit unexpected. New Brunswick has the slowest year over year wage growth (May 2009 to May 2010) among the 10 provinces. Not sure why this is the case. I know the provincial government froze wage increases –…
Continue ReadingSavoie dissects Nova Scotia
Donald Savoie’s new report on the future of economic development (and other things) in Nova Scotia is out. He is not recommending consolidation as some had suggested of the various organizations (NSBI, ERD, Innovacorp, etc.) but it does seem he…
Continue ReadingSmall jurisdictions can compete
One of the things I like about industry reports such as this is they remind me that small jurisdictions can be very successful competing against large jurisdictions in attracting investment into important, fast growing industries. If I had a nickel…
Continue ReadingThe uncertain post-industrial era
This is a very thoughtful and well written article on the complexities associated with economic development in rural New Brunswick – or what the subject of the piece calls rural New Brunswick – the Canada Research Chair in New Brunswick…
Continue ReadingUnilateral disarmament: Part 704
This is one of those recurring themes on this blog because it keeps coming up. Here is a really well written argument against subsidizing the film industry – right up until his concluding comment. The raw bottom line is this:…
Continue ReadingBullish on Ireland
For over 20 years, Ireland was among the leading companies in the OECD for economic and population growth. In the late 1980s, I remember hearing about airplanes full of insurance forms leaving New York to be processed in Ireland and then sent…
Continue ReadingStats Can’t-a-da: Part 3
The recent NB Power/Hydro-Quebec saga was a stark reminder to me of the importance of making evidence-based decisions. There were people with almost no knowledge of the industry and even less knowledge of energy asset valuation, long term market trend analysis,…
Continue ReadingStats Can’t-a-da: Part Deux
I hadn’t planned on commenting on this again but all the craziness around has prompted me to write one more time. Opponents are suggesting it is a) an invasion of privacy, b) ‘forced’ labour on Canadians, c) a free ride…
Continue ReadingInception
I had a 1,000+ word blog all penned around the theme of trying to understand why New Brunswickers have a primarily hostile perception of business – particularly ‘big’ or ‘international’ business. I had taken a look at all five political…
Continue ReadingSocialist capitalists
There are very few guarantees in life. Tom Peters, probably the most successful management guru of the 1980s, once said that American businessmen were true capitalists – until they walk through the front door of their businesses each day. Then…
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