Jim Stanford

@jimbostanford.bsky.social

Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work in Vancouver, Canada (https://centreforfuturework.ca/). He/him. Harold Innis Industry Professor, Economics Dept., McMaster University, and Honorary Prof. of Political-Economy, University of Sydney

@bcfed.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 6:08 PMReposted by @jimbostanford.bsky.social

"If you're a Canadian worker, there's no better place than BC to do an hour's labour for an hour's pay." That's from economist @jimbostanford.bsky.social, director of the @futurework.bsky.social. And the numbers back him up.

#BCLab #BCPoli #BCElection

Headline: "With the BC NDP: highest wages, fastest growth" Two graphs showing BC surpassing Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta to have the highest wages in the country, and showing BC with the fastest real wage growth of any province.

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 3:26 PM

Whether 'the economy' is strong or weak depends on where you fit into it. For workers, BC's mix of strong growth, with deliberate efforts to ensure workers get a share of that growth, has been very positive. See my
@thetyee.ca summary for more economic data:
thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 3:26 PM

This is important context when business lobbyists complain about BC's 'hopeless' economy. Those who work for a living rightly celebrate having the highest wages (and for those who earn the avg wage, also the lowest provincial income taxes). But employers see it differently. /7

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 3:26 PM

BC's top wage growth is no accident. It reflects deliberate policy choices: highest min wage in Canada, one-step certification for unions, insourcing health jobs privatized by BC Liberal govts, & more. It's a safe bet a BC Conservative govt would move to undo all those wage boosters. /6

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 3:26 PM

Despite those strong wages (or perhaps because of them??), business capital investment in BC was strong. Real investment (after inflation) in non-residential structures & machinery grew 4.5%/yr from 2017 thru 2024 (latest data), fastest among the provinces and 3x the Cdn avg. /5

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 3:26 PM

Since 2017, average hourly wages have outpaced inflation in BC, generating an average annual increase in the real wage of 1.5% per year (almost two-thirds faster than the Canadian average). The real purchasing power of wages grew 13% in that time. (It *fell* 3% in Alberta). /4

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 3:26 PM

In 2017 when the NDP govt was elected in BC, the province ranked 4th on wages, with an average wage slightly below the Canadian average. Now BC ranks #1, and workers enjoy a $1.55/hour wage advantage versus the Canadian average (worth $3224/year for a full-time worker). /3

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 3:26 PM

If you're a Canadian worker, there's no better place than BC to do an hour's labour for an hour's pay. Since 2024 BC has boasted the highest hourly wage of any province (incl. imputed hourly pay for salaried staff). BC passed SK in 2019, Ont in 2023, and Alta in 2024. #bcpoli /2

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 12:28 AM

The report noted that more commitment by both the fed & prov governments to the CWELCC's continued roll-out was necessary to ensure these benefits are fully reaped. The real ELCC issue in the current BC election should be which parties will commit to growing the program & meeting CWELCC targets?

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 12:28 AM

We quantified the economic & fiscal gains from expanded early learning & child care in BC, as part of the national CWELCC plan: centreforfuturework.ca/2025/06/24/t.... 8K new ELCC jobs, 33K FTEs new female labour supply, $6b/yr more provincial GDP, $1b/yr new provincial govt revenue. #bcpoli /2

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 13, 2026, 11:44 PM

Great review by Vanmala Subramanian for @theglobeandmail.com on the latest oligarchic musings (from Bill Gates) about taxing machines instead of billionaires: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art.... Yes, AI could destroy many jobs--thru a financial meltdown, not by truly replacing humans. #cdnecon

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 5:50 PM

Great detail here from @marclee.bsky.social for @policyalternatives.ca on why public auto insurance saves so much for drivers (just like public health insurance does for people): www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc.... Highly relevant to #bcpoli rn

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 3:01 PM

What would James ("It's the economy stupid") Carville say if he was in BC rn? We've debated election timing & culture wars, but eventually the economy will be the deciding issue. And by most metrics, BC's has done very well. My take for @thetyee.ca: thetyee.ca/Analysis/202.... #bcpoli

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 5:29 PM

This is a good day to ponder what an amazing deal B.C. residents have enjoyed thanks to public auto insurance. Avg nominal premiums are no higher than 9 years ago when J.Horgan was elected Premier, vs 45% avg increase in Canada and 119% in next-door Alberta. Data from StatsCan. #bcpoli

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 5:05 PM

The combination of higher marginal rates for very high-income taxpayers (under the new NDP proposal to include those with over $1 million in ANNUAL INCOME, not WEALTH) with lower rates for everyone else, shows that the system is more progressive, not that it collects more tax.

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 5:05 PM

Conservatives always use the 'top marginal rate' as a (false) proxy for the overall tax rate. This reveals their allegiance to those who PAY that top marginal rate (a small share of the population). BC's tax rates for low- and middle-income people are among the lowest in Canada. /3

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 5:05 PM

This contagious claim that under the NDP BC has become 'the highest taxed province' is nonsense. Provincial own-source revenue as share of GDP is 4th lowest among the provinces, and below the Canadian weighted average. #bcpoli /2

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Oct 5, 2026, 5:59 PM

@bspiesbutcher.bsky.social from @futurework.bsky.social hits the nail on the head re monetary policy failures: “Supply shocks are our primary challenge. But [RBA] still treats them like an aberration, not the main game. It’s looking in the wrong direction”
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/economy...

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Sep 29, 2026, 6:55 PM

This is an outstanding refutation of PM Carney's double-speak on proposed Canada Labour Code amendments, from Colleen Bauman and Mark Rowlinson: www.thestar.com/opinion/cont.... Previous misuse of Section 107 would be codified & routinized, even though it's still facing court challenges. #canlab

@jimbostanford.bsky.social Sep 29, 2026, 5:31 PM

Looking forward to this webinar with the Canadian
Health Coalition Oct 20. Too often we view health care solely as a cost. In reality it’s an *industry*, and one of Canada’s most important. Webinar: The economic benefits of public health care in Canada #canlab www.healthcoalition.ca/webinar-the-...

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