Apple accused of poor treatment in its Chinese plants

On February 9, consumer organizations demonstrated in front of Apple stores in New York, London and Sydney, denouncing the difficult working conditions in Apple’s Chinese factories, as described in the columns of the New York Times in January. The accusations are on top of the two explosions that occurred last year in these same plants, killing four people and injuring 70. In answer to the current protests, the Apple launched an operation last month to be transparent about the working conditions in its suppliers’ plants by making the list of its subcontractors public, and offering to open the doors of its plants to independent observers.

Labour shortage problem growing

A report released in early February by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is alarmist, stating that the labour shortage will reach record levels over the next decade. To be filled: 163,000 jobs in construction, 13,000 in the oil industry, 60,000 in nursing, 22,000 in hospitality, 10,000 in sales and 37,000 in trucking. The main challenge for the country—which is experiencing record unemployment in spite of these worrisome predictions—is helping workers laid off in certain industries, such as manufacturing, find jobs in more promising sectors.

Canadians less confident about the economy in 2012

According to the RBC Canadian Consumer Outlook Index, Canadians have lost confidence that the national economy will improve any time soon. Only 32% said they feel positive about the outlook for the domestic economy over the next year, down from 43% in 2011 and 56% in 2010. Job concerns also rose slightly, from 20% in 2011 to 21% in 2012. Respondents were not very optimistic as regards their own personal financial situation either, with 36% saying that it would improve, compared to 38% in 2011. In addition, close to half of Canadians polled felt that they are “standing still” when it comes to their personal finances.

10% of Canadian workers ready to relocate abroad

A poll by the Canadian Employee Relocation Council has found that only 19% of workers from 24 countries would be “very likely” to take a full-time job in another country for two or three years with a 10% pay increase. Those most likely to relocate internationally were from Mexico (34%), Brazil (32%) and Russia (31%), with Canadians lagging far behind at 10%. 36% of respondents said that a 10% increase is not enough of an incentive, one third said they would miss their friends and family, and one fifth said their partner has a job preventing a transfer. Finally, 13% said they didn’t want to uproot their children from schools and friends.

Almost half of North American employees find their job unrewarding

A survey by Right Management has found that 49% of North American employees consider their job is unrewarding and demotivating while 20% find it gratifying. The remaining 30% said they work in order to be able to enjoy life. The survey of 438 employees in the U.S. and Canada highlights workers’ declining morale over the past year. Among the reasons invoked are workplace pressures, followed by less staff and higher workloads. This context explains why few employees feel free to go out to lunch or take all their vacation days.

Quality of Canadian jobs worsened in 2011

The CIBC Employment Quality Index declined during the past three months of 2011. Numerous factors are taken into account when determining employment quality, including the distribution of jobs between full- and part-time positions, the number of paid employment versus self-employed positions and full-time wages. While the index is well above recessionary levels, it slipped more than one percentage point in the past year. The bank also noted a significant decrease in job growth during Q2 2011. The job market is currently the weakest of the past 15 years, excepting the recession.