MQIISP Policy Seminar Series: Session 1 - The Labour Market: What’s going on? What role for public policy?

This was the first online policy seminar in the series, Challenges and Opportunities for Social Policy in the Coming Decade. The policy seminars were organized in part by policy sector, focusing on the tools available in different sectors; however, each panel considered how policies interconnect, and how vulnerable groups intersect to create concentrations of advantage and disadvantage.   

For many years, policy makers and researchers in Canada and other OECD countries have been focused on the future of work and skills, particularly the impact of new technologies on the skills composition of jobs, prospects for different occupations and the nature of work. At the same time, the covid pandemic has had lasting impacts on the labour market, for example many workers are seeking more flexible work arrangements while others are looking to early retirement, resulting in significant labour shortages. Energy transitions and an aging workforce are also adding new dynamics. How significant are these trends? Are they significantly altering labour market supply and demand, skills composition, and the workplace? What have we learned about recent policy responses, in Canada and peer countries?  

For more information about this series and The Next Wave: Challenges & Opportunities for Social Policy Conference, please visit: https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/munk-school-queens-international-institute-social-policy