Low Income and Precarious Work Research
Poverty and precarious low wage work have become a fixture within the economics of the actually existing day to day economic for millions of people in Canada. One aspect of such precariousness is the measurement aspects and research related to such proper measurement. Without adequate information- it is difficult to properly mount effective policy and action towards eliminating such painful aspects of the economy. A much deeper understanding of income inequality and a lack of good jobs and decent wages are imperative to developing a framework for action. LivingWork Analytics has been involved in several aspects of research and support to those who are living within such poverty and those trying to make change. As part of our efforts to help the general public as well as empower activists- the following projects are currently what we call LIVING WORK Live Projects!
Living Wage - $15 Per Hour Research
The Living WAge research Project will seek to produce baseline statistics on benefits, costs, demographics and other critical aspects of the movement underway to bring wages at the low end of the pay spectrum to a livable levels. There are two areas of focus:
- Low Wage Research Using the Labour Force Survey Micro File to assess the various demographics, costs and benefits. A simulation of 2016 using an agent based approach of Workers and Employers is under construction. A three part research project is underway.
- A new Quarterly Index will be released in the 3rd quarter of the 2017 to monitor the levels of all workers in Canada making $15 and less per hour. It will be released for all provinces and include many critcial demographics. It will be released in a downloabable format and online format.
Designing a Good Jobs Index
LivingWork Analytics has been involved in the design and development of a new good jobs index. The index makes use of several critical statistical measures and combines them into an index to reflect a portrait of the quality of jobs that exist and are being created within the labour force. Unfortunately the institutions within Canada have not evolved much in the way of defining or measuring the nature of work and the quality of jobs. One can no longer view statistical measures on jobs within the labour market as some monolithic notion. We know over the past 30 years there has been a decline in the level of job quality- and as reports like that of the CIBC bank and the recent OECD report have shown- (including the new Good Jobs Index - that is about to be released)- job quality in Canada is at its lowest point since such measure were created some 20 years ago.
Universal Basic Income Research
With the recent rise of low quality jobs, lack of number of jobs and increased causalization of jobs- aka the rise of UBER- the idea of a new Universal Basic Income (UBI) has taken flight within some policy making circles. Some pilot projects and other research has been undertaken to see how actually giving families more income affects their well being. There are many hidden aspects that lay behind such motivations- other than some altruistic morality. In the age of austerity- and the inability of the global economy to generat decent jobs- there is indeed a rising level of inequality and un-used resources. In previous eras- there were similar pressures for change- with much different outcomes- from the rise of Keynsiams to the Russian revolution and the socialist leaning governments that offered alternatives. Again the global economy seems on the verge of change- does the UBI have a role in such economic policies of regulation and redistributing income?
Low Income Statistics - Small Area Data
As we approach the new census release data- a critical area of data coverage are the low income for small area files. It is through such data files that typically allow a cross sectional view of low income in small areas such as census tracts that a lot of socially aluable policy information can be compiled. LivingWork Analytics is preparing for the release of this data and will be providing some of its own analysis and data coverage. Stay tuned for updates.