‘Good Jobs in Good Workplaces’: Reflections on Medium-Term Labour Market Challenges

The emerging focus of Canadian labour market and social policy on ‘social inclusion’through paid employment is broadly appropriate (with significant caveats). However, positive outcomes for workers critically depend upon the existence of ‘good jobs in good workplaces.’  Macro-economic factors can play a key role in countering the growth of precarious work and in creating good jobs, but the task cannot be left to the market alone: Labour market regulation is also needed, and there is ample experience in Europe that labour market regulation through collective bargaining can help achieve better employment outcomes at no cost in terms of labour market adaptability, employment and productivity.

ISBN – 1-55382-054-1