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I might be late the party for anyone to read what I have to say. For the past 45 years, Canada has had limited growth in labour productivity and currently stan

I might be late the party for anyone to read what I have to say. For the past 45 years, Canada has had limited growth in labour productivity and currently stands at $42/hour, contrasting against the US at $52/hour, measured in GDP/hour worked. It turns out that it's very very difficult to understand productivity. It is against common understanding why Canada's more numerous bachelors degree holders seemingly doesn't contribute to a more productive labour force. If investments in education do not increase labour productivity (as predicted by nearly every model of labour economics), then what measures do affect productivity? It is increasingly unconvincing that countries become more productive by mere accident.

x5n1 11y ago
An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older or about one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people. In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health or addiction problem.
- barsonme 11y ago
  I'm confused how this relates to the previous poster's comment. Could you perhaps elaborate?
  - x5n1 11y ago
    Mo money, mo problems.
dilemma 11y ago
>It is against common understanding why Canada's more numerous bachelors degree holders seemingly doesn't contribute to a more productive labour force. If investments in education do not increase labour productivity (as predicted by nearly every model of labour economics), then what measures do affect productivity? The "education system" is not an education system. It is a selection system used to choose who gets one of the at any one tine limited number of jobs. Increasing the number of people in that selection system makes it less effective, hence the lowered value of a degree, the need for internships, and increased stress on personal networks for finding jobs.
- api_or_ipa 11y ago
  Your argument is absurd. You're implying the job market for university educated workers is perfectly inelastic and each successive degree holder produces no extra value on the margin. Moreover, you make the baseless assumption that competition amongst more candidates for skilled work produces no further value-- in other words, every worker is just as skilled. There are many more plausible reasons that don't have to invoke such strong assumptions on the education and skilled workforce markets. Cultural, social and political differences, a lower population density et al.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

x5n1 11y ago

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older or about one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people. In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health or addiction problem.

barsonme 11y ago
I'm confused how this relates to the previous poster's comment. Could you perhaps elaborate?
- x5n1 11y ago
  Mo money, mo problems.

dilemma 11y ago

>It is against common understanding why Canada's more numerous bachelors degree holders seemingly doesn't contribute to a more productive labour force. If investments in education do not increase labour productivity (as predicted by nearly every model of labour economics), then what measures do affect productivity? The "education system" is not an education system. It is a selection system used to choose who gets one of the at any one tine limited number of jobs. Increasing the number of people in that selection system makes it less effective, hence the lowered value of a degree, the need for internships, and increased stress on personal networks for finding jobs.

api_or_ipa 11y ago
Your argument is absurd. You're implying the job market for university educated workers is perfectly inelastic and each successive degree holder produces no extra value on the margin. Moreover, you make the baseless assumption that competition amongst more candidates for skilled work produces no further value-- in other words, every worker is just as skilled. There are many more plausible reasons that don't have to invoke such strong assumptions on the education and skilled workforce markets. Cultural, social and political differences, a lower population density et al.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]