Friday, June 4 10:30-12:00 Session 1 What Explains International Differences in Productivity Levels? Chair: David Slater (Centre for the Study of Living Standards) Papers: Brenda Lafleur (Conference Board of Canada) and Andrew Sharpe (Centre for the Study of Living Standards) "Industry Perspectives on the Canada-U.S. Productivity Gap"  (359Kb) James Milway (Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity) "Assessing the Drivers of the Canada-U.S. Prosperity Gap"  (1.1Mb) Gilbert Cette (Banque de France and Université d'Aix-Marseilles) "Why is Labour Productivity Higher in Certain European Countries than in the United States"  (65Kb) Discussants: Tom Wilson (University of Toronto) Andrew Jackson (Canadian Labour Congress) Pierre Fortin (Université du Quebec à Montréal)

Friday, June 4 13:45-15:15 Session 2 What Accounts for the Recent Rebound in Participation Rates in Canada? Chair: Andrew Sharpe (Centre for the Study of Living Standards) Papers: Russell Barnett, Steven James and Tim Sargent (Finance Canada) and Claude Lavoie (Bank of Canada) "The Canadian Labour Force Participation Rate Revisited: Cohort and Wealth Effects Take Hold"  (652Kb) Pierre Fortin (Université du Quebec à Montréal) and Mario Fortin (Université de Sherbrooke) "The Changing Labour Force of Canadians: New Evidence from a Panel of Demographic Groups"  (408Kb) Discussants: Craig Riddell (University of British Columbia) Louis Grignon (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada)

Saturday, June 5 13:45-15:15 Session 3 Are Indicators of Well-being Relevant for Public Policy? Chair: Ian Stewart (Centre for the Study of Living Standards) Papers: John Helliwell (University of British Columbia and Bank of Canada) "Does Subjective Well-Being Research Have Policy Implications?"  (347Kb) Lars Osberg (Dalhousie University) "The Relevance of Objective Indicators of Well-being for Public Policy"  (209Kb) Discussant: Jean-Pierre Voyer (Policy Research Initiative)