PEI: Some Islanders mistakenly identify small public spending reductions with austerity measures. European countries like Greece and Portugal have genuinely experienced austere conditions, cutting their budgets by a quarter after the Great Recession. In contrast, P.E.I.'s government spends far more money that it did a generation ago. While recent years have seen a [...]
With 93 provincial government employees per 1,000 residents, Prince Edward Island has a large public sector by Canadian standards, and the third-largest public sector in the Atlantic region. The national average is 83 per 1,000. P.E.I. employed five percent more public employees per capita in 2015 than in 1997. Over this period, the national average [...]
With 101 provincial government employees per 1,000 residents, Nova Scotia has a large public sector by Canadian standards, and the second-largest in the Atlantic region. The national average is 83 per 1,000. Since 1997, Nova Scotia's public sector has grown considerably, from 86 employees per 1,000 residents to 101 – a 18 percent increase. Over [...]
With 109 provincial government employees per 1,000 residents, NL has one of the largest public sectors in Canada, and the largest in the Atlantic region. The national average is 83 per 1,000. The Atlantic average is 96. Since 1997, NL's public sector has grown considerably, ballooning by a stunning 30 percent. Over this period, the [...]
Atlantic Canada is experiencing fiscal challenges, with limited revenues and high spending by provincial governments. Unfortunately, many critics believe that minor spending cuts amount to austerity measures. This is false. European countries like Greece and Portugal have experienced real austerity, cutting their budgets by 25 percent after the Great Recession. Every Atlantic province [...]
News article quoting AIMS study The Size and Cost of the Public Sector in Atlantic Canada, 2015 • CBC News, 22 November 2016 The P.E.I. government needs to look harder at reducing the cost of the public sector workforce, says the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies. In a study released Tuesday, AIMS found P.E.I. employs [...]
Newfoundland and Labrador: The size and cost of public sector employment has a major effect on the government’s bottom line. Since 1997, Newfoundland and Labrador's public sector has grown from 84 employees per thousand residents in 1997 to 109 per thousand. Across Canada, the average size of provincial public sectors is 83 [...]
HALIFAX, NS – The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) today released a public policy study concerning investment trends in Atlantic Canada. Private Sector Investment in Atlantic Canada examines several forms of capital investment, including machinery and equipment outlay, business non-residential structures and government capital spending. Capital investment is a leading indicator of export demand [...]
The size and cost of public sector employment has a major effect on a government’s bottom line. Atlantic Canada's provincial governments currently employ 96 people per 1,000 residents. Across Canada, the average size of provincial public sectors is 83 per thousand, or 16 per cent less than in our region. Employing far more [...]
Business must stay competitive to grow our economy. For greater productivity, companies can upgrade equipment and worker training, construct buildings, and fund research and development. Unfortunately, Maritime companies have been investing less. In 2006, they spent over 1300 dollars for every Maritimer on commercial and industrial buildings. Today, they spend just 600. [...]