Business Optimism Declines in B.C.
Prince George, B.C. – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says small business optimism in B.C. slipped in July, down 3.6 points.
The business barometer in the Province now sits at 65.9, placing B.C. 5th in provincial rankings, B.C. had been at the top of the rankings in the previous two months.
The business barometer measures optimism on a scale between zero and 100. an index level over 50 means business owners expect their business’ performance to be stronger in the coming year, and an index between 65 and 75 means the economy is growing at its potential.
Although B.C.’s independent businesses saw a slide in confidence, it is still well above the national average of 60.7.
“While the decline in business confidence in July is somewhat concerning, BC entrepreneurs remain relatively optimistic,” said Aaron Aerts, BC economist. “To ensure this confidence continues, the new government should make sure it’s doing everything it can to support the small business community. We’re hearing from small businesses it’s tough to afford to operate in BC – anything to make it a bit easier will help boost their confidence.”
Overall hiring intentions were down in July. Twenty-three per cent of small business owners plan to increase full-time staff in the next three months, down six points from June. In contrast, eight percent are looking to cut back, a one point increase over the month before.
Comments
Wow this new gov’t that wasn’t even voted in, has already managed to take us on a slow ride to the 90’s. Just wait till your house prices start falling ( but you still won’t blame this on the NDP) and your HOLOC starts to really look frightening.
House prices falling would be a good thing. They are way over priced as it is.
Did you mean Heloc or Ploc ? Home equity line of credit or personnel line of credit ? And I find it amazing that both you and Rich Coleman do not know how the Westminster parlimentry system that we live under works . If you’d like some more of that ignorance of how it works check out @colemancountry on Twitter . I can understand you not getting it but for Coleman to not understand it after sitting on his fat arse in the legislature for years is unforgivable . You’d think an ex RCMP like him would know a little bit about law .
Just like your expert knowledge of locomotives!
Isn’t this the same organization that wants minimum wage scrapped. They say is they could pay what they want, even $1.00 an hour, there would be an immediate 100,000 jobs created.
They’re as self serving as all the rest.
Sounds more like the Fraser Institute of BS .
my2bits, your comment is ridiculous! Who are the “They” that are saying that if they could pay what they wan, even $1.00 an hour, there would be an immediate 100,000 jobs created”?
Who says that they want to pay $1.00 per hour? Is your comment some of the fearmongering that Dumbfounded mentions?
Here’s an article for you from just yesterday!
“The evidence mounts—minimum wage hikes reduce job opportunities for vulnerable workers — July 27, 2017”
From the article:
“The latest in a long line of Canadian evidence was released earlier this month. In a comprehensive academic study, University of Waterloo professors Kate Rybczynski and Anindya Sen measure the employment effects of 185 changes to the minimum wage in Canada’s 10 provinces over the period 1981 to 2011. The study controls for a host of factors that may affect employment including changing labour market conditions and the economic business cycle.
Perhaps unsurprising for those familiar with the existing Canadian body of research, the study finds minimum wage hikes reduce job prospects for vulnerable workers. Specifically, the study finds a 10 per cent increase in the minimum wage leads to up to a four per cent drop in teenage employment. For perspective, the Ontario government is proposing a 32 per cent hike in the minimum wage.
The effect on teen employment is not a novel result. Other academic studies have consistently found that minimum wage hikes in Canada reduce employment opportunities among teens and young adults. At the bottom of this page is a list of 20 Canadian studies on the employment effects of minimum wage hikes. This is not a selective list. After an extensive search, this is every Canadian study that has appeared in an academic journal over the past several decades that we could find.
The consensus of these studies is that minimum wage hikes reduce employment opportunities for young workers. Not a single one of these studies contradicts this conclusion.”
The article references a list of 20 different studies on the employment effects of minimum wage hikes. Perhaps you can find and post some studies that are contrary to the results of these studies?
ht tps://www.fraserinstitute.org/blogs/the-evidence-mounts-minimum-wage-hikes-reduce-job-opportunities-for-vulnerable-workers
What a story hart guy. Makes me weep.
Cheers
Retired 02, I was hoping for an intelligent comment from you, one that might provide evidence to dispel any of the 20 studies!
You never fail to not impress me!
Just another fear mongering report from a fear mongering group.
Actually it is stats Canada data. Business owners are required to fill out the forms online
well christy crunch is no longer feeding them with tax dollars.
Cheers
OMG, all the sH*t in the air in Crappotsford must be rapidly killing brain cells!
How else can one explain such responses to what I would say are very well researched and detailed opinions.
It makes me understand how so much of the lower rainland voted for the KGB!
When today’s minimum wage earners start getting pink slips as a result of unsupportable wage costs from the typical mom and pop establishments that employ most of these people perhaps you will get your head out of your A$$ and realize that what was being predicted was in fact true!
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