Labour Force Growth Lags Behind Population GrowthCanada's population of those aged 15 and older was 302,000 (+1.0%) higher in April 2021 than in February 2020. Statcan writes, "To maintain a constant employment rate -- defined as employment as a proportion of the population aged 15 and older -- employment must grow at the same rate as population. From February 2020 to April 2021, employment growth of 183,000 would have been necessary to maintain a steady employment rate. Instead, employment declined by 503,000 over this period and the employment rate dropped 2.2 percentage points, from 61.8 per cent to 59.6 per cent. "Similarly, the size of the labour force -- that is, the total number of people who are either employed or meet the definition of unemployed -- would have had to increase by 194,000 from February 2020 to April 2021 to keep pace with population growth. In fact, the size of the labour force was essentially unchanged over the period and the participation rate fell from 65.5 per cent to 64.9 per cent." Why should this happen? For the working class, small and medium-sized enterprises and the country as a whole, the crisis has been a disaster. In contrast, the ruling oligarchs have turned the crisis into maximum profits with billionaires substantially increasing their control of social wealth and the economy. Statistics Canada makes all this sound so uncontrollable and beyond the capacity of mere mortals to deal with or even comprehend why this is happening. This is explained by the fact that for the ruling oligarchs to bring the modern economy under conscious human direction in conformity with its socialized nature and to solve persistent problems is not possible or in their interest. Understanding and conscious control of the whole and its parts would mean introducing scientific planning, economic theory and concrete analysis of concrete problems into the economy, and a new aim to serve the people in sharp contradiction with the self-serving aim, anarchy and irrationality that suit the oligarchs fine in the sense that this allows them to retain their control and lifestyle.
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