Harper Job Creation Record Is Better Most Western Leaders

[Anonymous]

I am not one to credit politicians for "creating jobs", but I admit Harper has been a steady hand at the wheel especially since he won a majority in the last election. As our competition in Europe goes through yet another recession, Flaherty/Harper have seen us through one of the worst global slowdowns in history and next year we will return to a budgetary surplus(we might be there now).



However, it looks like Canadians are going to throw out a prudent economist for the unqualified and moronic Justin Trudeau in 2015.

OTTAWA - As they gear up for a year-long re-election campaign in which they want to focus heavily on their record as stewards of the Canadian economy, Stephen Harper and the federal Conservatives can be expected to point to a job creation record that got a sharp boost Friday.



In its monthly jobs report, Statistics Canada surprised all expert forecasters by revealing that the economy added more than 43,000 new jobs last month.



"There's no denying this is a solid report for Canada, with the sizeable drop in the jobless rate leaving it at a six-year low," BMO Capital Markets economist Benjamin Reitzes said.



Six-year-lows are great but the time interval for Harper begins in May, 2011, the month he won his majority government. And while there will be nine more monthly jobs reports that could yet cloud his record before next fall's general election, the record so far is solid enough.



For example, Canada's population has grown by 4.1% since May, 2011 while the total number of new jobs has grown since 3.8%. That amounts to 681,500 new jobs. Of those, 533,300 jobs are full-time jobs. That's not bad.



And while the opposition, particularly the New Democrats, moan about the loss of manufacturing jobs, the total number of manufacturing jobs lost since May, 2011 is just 5,300, or just 0.3% of the 1.8 million Canadians who still work in a factory.



And while there are still 1.3 million Canadians who count themselves as unemployed, that's 118,000 fewer than were unemployed at the last election.



Nonetheless, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau have already hinted they can attack this job creation record by focusing less on quantity and more on quality.



So, for example, they may note that wage growth has been sluggish. The narrative then is that, under Harper, you may still be working but you're not earning as much, and therefore you've been falling behind.



They could point to the fact that the fastest growing sector has been what StatsCan calls "accommodation and food services", a sector that has grown by 8.8% since May 2011 and now employs 1.2 million. Jobs in restaurants and hotels tend not to be those high-quality, high-paying jobs everyone wants.



This week on Parliament Hill, Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz drew some fire from NDP and Liberal politicians for suggesting young people who can't find work should consider volunteering in their field while they search for a job. His comment sparked renewed calls by the opposition to do something to help younger workers. StatsCan said Friday that unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 was 12.6%, twice as high as the general population.



There are some other data bits the opposition could use to erode Conservative claims on job creation.



The average length of time it takes for someone who loses a job to find a new one has been lengthening and is now at 22 weeks. That's more than four months between jobs.



And among the 3.5 million who have a part-time job, the Bank of Canada says 28% are working part-time "involuntarily," meaning part-time work was the best they could find or they were forced it into part-time by a struggling employer.



When Bill Clinton won the U.S. presidency, he did it on the slogan, "It's the economy, stupid!"



The electoral strategy of Harper's Conservatives in 2008 and 2011 was a slightly less flashy variation of that theme.



As we head to the 2015 vote, expect Harper to stick to that playbook. But this time, his opponents will be combing through the data, looking chinks in the economic armour.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/11/07/few-blemishes-in-stephen-harpers-job-creation-record">http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/11/07/f ... ion-record">http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/11/07/few-blemishes-in-stephen-harpers-job-creation-record

[keeper]

Their all a bunch of crooks that say one thing and do another.



They tell you what you want to hear and fulfill their own agendas.



Crooks,liars,pricks



What Alberta needs is a Shen & Keeper to run the province for 5 years. fire the whole fuckin lot of em.



VOTE THE IRON CHINK AND KEEPER!!! ac_beating

[Anonymous]

Their all a bunch of crooks that say one thing and do another.



They tell you what you want to hear and fulfill their own agendas.



Crooks,liars,pricks



What Alberta needs is a Shen & Keeper to run the province for 5 years. fire the whole fuckin lot of em.



VOTE THE IRON CHINK AND KEEPER!!! ac_beating

 ac_drinks

[Big Wave Dave]

Their all a bunch of crooks that say one thing and do another.



They tell you what you want to hear and fulfill their own agendas.



Crooks,liars,pricks



What Alberta needs is a Shen & Keeper to run the province for 5 years. fire the whole fuckin lot of em.



VOTE THE IRON CHINK AND KEEPER!!! ac_beating

Politicians are lying assholes.

[Gary Oak]

Justin Trudeau becoming PM is a scary thought that unfortunately may come true

[Anonymous]

Justin Trudeau becoming PM is a scary thought that unfortunately may come true

Yeah, but you don't actually think that unqualified moron will be allowed anywhere near the levers of the economy do you? He is just a figurehead with nice hair to rebuild the party brand. He will be PM in name only.