Jim Stanford
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jimbostanford.bsky.social
Jim Stanford
@jimbostanford.bsky.social
Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work in Vancouver, Canada (https://centreforfuturework.ca/). He/him. Harold Innis Industry Professor, Economics Dept., McMaster University, and Honorary Prof. of Political-Economy, University of Sydney
This should make us all grab torches and pitchforks and start a revolution. Crypto billionaire Changpeng Xhao, ex-con recently pardoned by Trump, is now Canada's richest person according to the annual @macleans.bsky.social ranking: macleans.ca/longforms/th.... #cdnecon #canlab /2
The Rich List - Macleans.ca
There's a new billionaire topping our list this year. Here are Canada's 40 wealthiest people—and how they made their money.
macleans.ca
November 11, 2025 at 1:04 AM
The 2022 oil price shock wasn’t a one-time crisis—it’s part of a pattern. That surge cost Canadians $12K/household. And our False Profits research shows it'll happen again, until we break the link between our energy prices & global futures markets.
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIrA.... #cdnecon
The Roller Coaster of Oil Prices. Why do they fluctuate so much? (No, it’s not ‘supply and demand’.)
YouTube video by Centre For Future Work
www.youtube.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Among the nice surprises in today's 🇨🇦 jobs report: Manufacturing added 9K jobs in Oct despite Trump's attacks. That puts us above 0 on a year/year basis. Compare that to the self-inflicted LOSS of 78K manufacturing jobs in the US. Trump's trade war backfires for US workers. #cdnecon #canlab
November 7, 2025 at 4:55 PM
The federal budget heralded a new approach to "capital budgeting". I unpack the new framework, and find it's mostly about optics: centreforfuturework.ca/2025/11/05/f.... There's some genuine new investment in the budget, but not as much as Canada needs for the moment. #cdnecon #canlab #Budget2025
Federal Budget 2025: Unpacking the New Capital Budgeting Framework - Centre for Future Work
Leading into this budget, the Carney government made much of a new distinction between operational spending and capital spending: between “spending” and “investing”. However, in practice this distinct...
centreforfuturework.ca
November 5, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I had a rich conversation with Andrew Nichols on CBC News Channel today about tomorrow's federal budget: www.cbc.ca/player/play/.... With Canada confronting a historic threat to our sovereignty and prosperity, this budget needs to meet a higher test than normal deficit metrics. #cdnecon
CBC's Andrew Nichols speaks with economist Jim Stanford about Mark Carney’s first budget
Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis.
www.cbc.ca
November 4, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Awesome @TorontoStar podcast from @althiaraj on the big-picture challenges facing Canada's auto industry due to Trump: www.thestar.com/podcasts/its.... Great perspectives on the industry's history, economics and future. Our market gives us leverage to save this vital sector. #cdnecon #canlab
Canada’s auto industry is on the brink. Should it be saved?
This week on “It’s Political” we look at whether the auto industry is worth saving, and how it could be propped up – despite the uncertainty Trump creates.
www.thestar.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The @policyalternatives.ca's annual Alternative Federal Budget brings together researchers and advocates from the whole spectrum of social movements. It shows we CAN afford the investments & services Canadians need. Check out the 2026 AFB: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc.... #canlab
Alternative federal budget 2026: Building true Canadian sovereignty - CCPA
What true Canadian sovereignty and independence might look like when the public good is at the heart of budgetary planning
www.policyalternatives.ca
October 28, 2025 at 2:36 PM
The Charter of Rights is foundational to 🇨🇦's democracy & national vision of fairness & due process. Decades of cases have confirmed its value to labour rights. Danielle Smith takes a big step toward authoritarianism, tossing it aside for fiscal & political convenience. #canlab
October 28, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Congratulations to the amazing David Fairey, who's done so much for high-impact credible labour research in his many roles. Just received the Sefton-Williams Award from U of T's CIR. Here's his acceptance speech: centreforfuturework.ca/2025/10/26/f.... Thanks David for all you've done! 🙏 #canlab
Fighting for Fair Work - Centre for Future Work
For decades, David Fairey has served as an outstanding researcher and advocate on a wide range of labour and trade union issues. He served for 23 years as Director of the former Trade Union Research B...
centreforfuturework.ca
October 28, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Trump: “Stop making me look bad, or else I’ll shoot myself in the foot again.”

Stay tuned: This afternoon Pierre Poilievre and Brian Lilley will give a two-part panel presentation on why this is Canada’s fault.
October 25, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Alberta teachers saw their real salaries cut by 13.2% since the last contract started in Sept 2020--the worst in Canada. The Alberta government wants to lock in that pay cut by ordering teachers back to work. The teachers' position is 100% morally & economically valid. #canlab
October 24, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Cue the self-hating rump of Trump-apologist Canadians who are going to say his late-nite insanity is our own fault. If he cuts off trade talks cuz of this ad, we should put 25% export taxes on the energy, steel & aluminum he was trying to secure with the partial ‘deal’ he wanted.
October 24, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Our Centre for Future Work is co-sponsoring with @policyalternatives.ca an 'Elbows Up' webinar at 1pmET on Fri.Oct.31 (🎃fitting given our spooky times!) to follow up our recent Elbows Up Summit. Register at: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi.... We'll share strategies for a genuine Elbows Up strategy. /2
October 23, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Reposted by Jim Stanford
“The Stellantis decision is a litmus test of our national courage. The government must confront Stellantis with the full force of a sovereign, wealthy country,” says @jimbostanford.bsky.social.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Jim Stanford: The sheer gall of Stellantis’ caving to Donald Trump shows Canada’s industrial economy is on the line. Here’s how we fight back
We must at all costs defend the successful high-tech industries we have
www.thestar.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:24 PM
In this commentary, I argued that, if allowed, Stellantis' shift of Jeep production to the U.S. to appease Trump would be the 1st of many by global corps with no allegiance except their bottom line: centreforfuturework.ca/2025/10/21/s.... Little did I know GM would be right on their heels. #cdnecon🤯
Stellantis Shows Canada’s Industrial Economy is On the Line - Centre for Future Work
Automaker Stellantis recently announced it would shift production of a new vehicle from an assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario (which has been closed for re-tooling) to Indiana, in order to escape the...
centreforfuturework.ca
October 21, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Stellantis' move to shift production from Canada to the U.S. is a litmus test of our national courage. If we don't stop them. a parade of companies in other high-tech sectors will follow. In today's @thestar.com, I explain what we can do: thestar.com/opinion/cont.... #cdnecon
Jim Stanford: The sheer gall of Stellantis’ caving to Trump shows Canada’s industrial economy is on the line. Here’s how we fight back
We must at all costs defend the successful high-tech industries we have
thestar.com
October 19, 2025 at 3:39 PM
My chat with Deana Sumanac-Johnson on CBC News Network about Stellantis' decision, and how Ottawa must respond: cbc.ca/player/play/.... "This is the 1st battle in a long war to save Canada's auto industry." A parade of MNCs across high-tech industries will follow if we don't reverse this.
October 18, 2025 at 10:48 PM
I will join Deana Sumanac-Johnson on CBC News Network 5ish ET to discuss Stellantis' terrible decision to bow down to Trump, shifting production of a new Jeep from Brampton to Illinois. Ottawa must draw a line in the sand on this, or other companies will follow suit. #canlab #cdnecon
October 18, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Jim Stanford
This panoramic shot doesn’t begin to capture the huge size of the crowd at the #NoKings protest in Orlando. There’s a sea of thousands of people — not just in front of City Hall but also down all the nearby streets!!!
October 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Powerful new research from the Workers Action Centre on the epidemic of wage theft in Ontario: workersactioncentre.org/wp-content/u.... Based on multilingual survey of 513 workers, 60% of whom had experienced a pay violation, 28% were paid below minimum wage. #canlab
workersactioncentre.org
October 18, 2025 at 2:39 PM
As the Nov.4 federal budget approaches, too much attention has been directed at "how big will the deficit be". This is predictable but disappointing, given Trump's attacks. I told the Senate's Finance Cmtte yesterday this deficit-obsession is misplaced: centreforfuturework.ca/2025/10/08/t... /2
This Is Not An Ordinary Federal Budget - Centre for Future Work
As the federal government prepares to table its next budget on November 4, most of the public debate has centred on how big the deficit will be – as if that is the only metric of significance to Canad...
centreforfuturework.ca
October 8, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Awesome feature from @markrendell.bsky.social on challenges & opportunities facing a new 'National Policy' for Canadian economic development to counter Trump: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/eco.... My take: "Canada’s former determination to be a boy scout in world trade no longer rules the roost."
Pushed by Trump, Canada enters a new era of economic nationalism
The U.S. President’s ‘America First’ economic vision is pushing Ottawa to reach for a Canada First toolkit – one that would have been inconceivable a year ago
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 4, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Here's a fact sheet from our Centre for Future Work in Canada on the state of minimum wage policy after the Oct.1 wage hikes in 5 provinces: centreforfuturework.ca/2025/10/01/h.... Includes nominal & real cross-province data, shows where we stand globally, & discusses needed improvements. #canlab
Happy Minimum Wage Day, Canada! - Centre for Future Work
Half of Canada’s provinces all increased their minimum wage on October 1: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. So this is a good occasion to celebrate the importance...
centreforfuturework.ca
October 2, 2025 at 6:54 PM
5 provinces increased their minimum wages today. So let's celebrate this mainstay tool of labour market regulation with a few fun facts. B.C. retains its crown, holding the highest prov min wage (Nunavut & Yukon higher). Alberta now takes sole possession of last spot. #canlab /2
October 1, 2025 at 7:57 PM
4 provinces will increase their minimum wages effective tomorrow (Oct 1). I'll join @mattgalloway.bsky.social on CBC's The Current 930am-ish to discuss the effects of minimum wages in reducing low-incomes, and the sea-change in economic thinking about them in recent years. #canlab #cdnecon
September 30, 2025 at 11:25 PM