Session 1: Trends in Income Distribution in Canada

Chair: Alice Nakamura (University of Alberta)

Papers:

• Krishna Pendakur (Simon Fraser University) "Trends in Consumption Distribution in Canada: Sensitivity to Equivalence Scales"
• Gordon Anderson and Peter Ibbott (University of Toronto) "Measures of Poverty in Canada: Ambiguity and Conflict"  (77Kb)
• Richard Chaykowski (Queen's University) and George Slotsve (Northern Illinois University) "Unions, Earnings Inequality, and Economic Well-Being in Canada"

Discussants:
Ross Finnie (Statistics Canada and Queen's University)
Andrew Sharpe (Centre for the Study of Living Standards)

Session 2: Why Is the Value of the Canadian Dollar So Low?

Chair: Andrew Sharpe (Centre for the Study of Living Standards)

Papers:

• John Murray and Zahir Antia (Bank of Canada) "Fundamental Determinants of the Canadian Dollar"  (171Kb)
• Dale Orr (WEFA Canada) "The Canadian Dollar: Why Do Such Bad Things Happen to Such a Good Economy"  (147Kb)
• John McCallum (Royal Bank of Canada) “Why Is the Value of the Canadian Dollar So Low?”

Discussants:
Patrick Grady (Global Economics)
John Helliwell (University of British Columbia)

Session 3: Is Increased Skills Mismatch Contributing to Structural Unemployment in Canada?

Chair: Jean-Pierre Voyer (Human Resources Development Canada)

Papers:

• Louis Grignon, Marcel Bédard, and Jean-Francois Bertrand (HDRC) "New Findings on Long-Term Joblessness in Canada"
• Lars Osberg (Dalhousie University) and Zhengxi Lin (StatisticsCanada) "How Much of Canada's Unemployment is Structural?"  (140Kb)
• Richard Roy and Yves Gingras (HRDC) "Skills Shortages and Mismatch in the Canadian Economy"

Discussants:
Frank Reid (University of Toronto)
Mario Seccareccia (University of Ottawa)

Session 4: The Youth Labour Market in Canada in the 1990s

Chair: David Slater (CSLS)

Papers:

• Thomas Lemieux (Universite de Montreal and CIRANO), Paul Beaudry (UBC, CIRANO, and CIAR) and Daniel Parent (McGill University and CIRANO) "What is Happening in the Youth Labour Market in Canada?" 
• Morley Gunderson (University of Toronto), Andrew Sharpe (CSLS) and Steven Wald "Youth Unemployment in Canada"

Discussants:
Réné Morissette (Statistics Canada)
Steve Jones (McMaster University)

Session 5: Panel: What Explains the Canada-U.S. Manufacturing Productivity Gap?

Chair: Andrew Sharpe (Centre for the Study of Living Standards)

Panelists:
Serge Nadeau (Industry Canada)
Daniel Schwanen (CD Howe Institute)
John Baldwin (Statistics Canada)
Roger Martin (University of Toronto)

Session 6: Has the Quality of Working Life Fallen in Canada in the 1990s?

Chair: John O'Grady (O'Grady Consulting)

Papers:

• Andrew Jackson (Canadian Labour Congress) and Pradeep Kumar (Queen's University), "Measuring and Monitoring the Quality of Working Life"
• Wayne Lewchuk (McMaster University) and David Robinson (CAW) "Quality of Work Life in Canada"

Discussants:
Anil Verma (University of Toronto)
Keith Newton (Carleton University)

Session 7 Panel: Are Canadian Better Off in 1999 than in 1989?

Chair: Linda McQuaig (author)

Panelists:
Bill Robson (CD Howe Institute).
Chris Sarlo (Nipissing University) Speaking Notes  (20Kb)
Andrew Sharpe (Centre for the Study of Living Standards)
Jim Stanford (Canadian Auto Workers) "Economic Freedom"  (65Kb)