04-16-2024, 02:00 PM
(04-16-2024, 01:28 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: I mean, 6.8% unemployment is within the normal range, and even low for the past 30 years or so. But certainly it is trending upwards. But that is for Ontario, my impression was that the region was in a significantly better position than Ontario, but I couldn't find local data.
As for challenges to Canada, I think you are right, but I don't think another massive legacy employer actually helps. Our problems are not related to "not enough large multi-nationals", IMO....they're related instead to the cost of housing (which also cannot be solved through massive sprawl)...and a general trend to towards centralization/monopoliation/financialization of the private sector.
I can't see a reason the region pulling more than its weight on jobs growth would be bad. We pay taxes and have services provided as a province and a country.
I also think the comparison to Amazon is a misreading of the potential impact of manufacturing and similar to the region/province. The reason Ontario governments bend over backwards to please Ford, GM, etc. (much as I'm not a fan of the culture of large corporate handouts in Canada) is not because of just the primary jobs at those plants but the enormous supply chain and services network that works around that node. One big goods manufacturer can also create those 10 smaller companies/branches here.
If it's land for another distribution warehouse complex, then sure there is some argument it's just centralizing away. I also don't think working to create attractive land assembly is even in the same universe as the Amazon HQ and tax breaks for Stellantis conversation. The dollar figures between those two are literal orders of magnitude.