General Business Updates and News

[danbrotherston]

I don't think it's hidden...it's discussed pretty clearly. GDP/capita is a at least as common a statistic as total GDP when talking about wealth and living conditions:

https://financialpost.com/opinion/canada...ince-1930s

But when it comes to defining a recession total GDP is used, whether that is the right method isn't that relevant, it is the standard method, and choosing not to use it must be motivated by something other than trying to advocate a viewpoint through branding.

Again disclaimer, I'm not interested in giving Better Dwelling a click so I don't know what they said. My point was just that I see nothing wrong with directing more conversation towards per capita metrics, and I disagree with you that it's discussed very frequently among the general population. Honestly, from the older generation of my extended family the only aspect of worsening quality of life that they have noticed and discuss is the housing crisis, and as home owners the discussion doesn't go much beyond "well that sucks..." and sharing status quo maintaining positions. In other words, they are like most people who think in terms of "economy good" or "economy bad" in the most surface level manner possible.

Of course you can find media articles and plenty of people discussing GDP per capita and other more relevant details, but I don't think the average person looks even just below the surface to even see that.

I'm not sure I follow your last point. It's silly to try and redefine something well established, but less silly to try and define something new. But regardless, the point underlying the definition is what actually matters here.

I don’t think my family discusses any GDP statistic either. But I also think stagnant GDP per capita isn’t the cause of our current woes. I think we have seen equality increase and housing market increasingly not provide for our needs.

As for the “gdp per capita recession” it seems like an attempt to redefine recession or at least capitalize off the term “recession” to me. But obviously just my opinion.

To me at least when you are a wealthy nation such as ours I believe equality and a well functioning regulatory system is more important than GDP or GDP per capita growth. I.e we have enough wealth for all of us to be happy right now, if we aren’t it’s a different problem. But I also realize that such a statement has a certain group of economists seeing red right now.