this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2024
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The 'Great Canadian Slump' is back: Weekly earnings have increased only 1.6 percent between 2015 and 2024, or less than 0.2 percent per year (thehub.ca)
submitted 3 months ago by booja@booja.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca
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[–] FlareHeart@lemmy.ca 35 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Labour productivity has grown by 0.2 percent annually, on average, between early 2015 and the end of 2023.

...average weekly earnings have increased only 1.6 percent between January 2015 and January 2024, or less than 0.2 percent per year.

This sounds like productivity is commensurate with pay. Maybe instead of advocating for interest rates to drop (which has issues of its own), we should be advocating for proper pay raises?

Edit to add a note: This comment is intending to call them out about poor wages. If you want more productivity, then pay us for it! I'm sick of doing the work of 3 people with measly, if any, wage raises!

[–] Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago

But think about the shareholders. They can't just cancel Disney+ because of some silly pay raises.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The productivity/pay correlation has seized being true for several decades now. I'm not sure why some economists keep repeating that wages rise when productivity rises despite the data. That there's a match within this period for Canada is probably a coincidence.

[–] FlareHeart@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

The study you linked proves that there is significant wage inequality. The very first chart demonstrates that even though productivity has increased, wages have not kept up. This is exactly my point. I'm not sure if you were intending to agree with me, but your link is just further proof that wages are definitely not where they should be.

"Why should I work so hard for wages that don't compensate me for said work?" Said every underpaid worker ever.

My place of employment has been cutting headcount for years and just expecting the existing employees to do the same, and more, work for no increase in pay. And they wonder why productivity suffers?! I am still only one person. I cannot possibly perform as well as 3 people. Maybe if you'd stop cutting headcount and focus on getting things done, we'd actually be productive.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

You mentioned that a recent period it appears that productivity has grown as much as wages. I wasn't sure if you're restating the common mainstream economic refrain that productivity growth drives wage growth so I threw the data that disputes this narrative.

I absolutely agree that wages haven't kept up, and the data shows that. And the rest of your point about the psychology of stagnant pay for more work.

I keep hearing from mainstream economists (recently from the BoC) that we need to increase productivity in order to increase wages. But that hasn't worked for three decades! πŸ˜‚ It's almost like there's been another driver that kept this correlation tighly coupled in the past. Perhaps the stronger leverage to demand raises that stronger unions used to provide prior to the union busting era might have had something to do with it. πŸ₯Ή

[–] FlareHeart@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ahh I see the confusion, my original comment was more a remark on the fact that they are complaining about "stagnant" productivity, when wages are in a really poor place and probably contributing to the overall poor productivity. Because who wants to do more for less pay? I was not intending it to be a commentary agreeing that productivity increases wages, but rather it should be the other way around. If you want productive workers, then pay them to be productive!

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

Makes sense!

[–] Fenrisulfir@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

ceased being true*

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

πŸ™

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Higher interest rates slow spending

Higher pay increases spending

[–] FlareHeart@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

If only the economics of whole countries was this simple.