Insuring Prosperity : SME Perspectives on the Employment Insurance System

September 14, 2009

Canada’s small- and medium-sized businesses interact with the Employment Insurance (EI) system in a way that larger businesses do not, making their unique views of this system a critical component to any reform of the broader EI system. While SMEs support the core mandate of EI, there are serious concerns about the cost associated with the program, and the services it provides in helping Canadians develop skills that will quickly get them back to work. Continue

Canada’s Training Ground

May 28, 2009

This study looks at whether small businesses invest in training, how intensively they do it and how workplace training efforts change with the size of business.Continue

Wage Watch

December 10, 2008

Detailed analysis of 2006 Census findings on full-time earnings by sector and occupation show that government and public sector employees are paid roughly 8 to 17 per cent more than similarly employed individuals in the private sector.Continue

Help Wanted: Labour shortage troubles deepen for SMEs in 2007

March 7, 2008

Vacancy rates continued to grow in 2007, with 4.4 per cent of jobs in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) vacant for four months or more and one third of employers experiencing difficulties finding employees.Continue

Small business & older workers

December 6, 2007

The shortage of qualified labour has become a gripping issue for small- and medium-sized businesses. While the problem is more acute in some regions due to strong economic performance, the ongoing shortage of qualified labour is a national issue and has a lot to do with demographicsContinue

Help Wanted: Long-term vacancies grow for Canada’s entrepreneurs

March 13, 2007

As Canada’s skills and labour shortage gathers increasing attention, the problem of long-term vacancies at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continues to grow.Continue

Immigration and Small Business

December 7, 2006

Ideas to Better Respond to Canada’s Skills and Labour ShortageContinue

Help Wanted: Long-term vacancies a major small business challenge

April 6, 2006

Small- and medium-sized employers across Canada are increasingly unable to find the workers they need to get their products and services to market. The persistent shortage of qualified labour has challenged small business owners and threatens their potential to grow.Continue

Business Transition

May 31, 2004

A Literature ReviewContinue

Behind the Numbers: SME Employment – the Lion’s Share

November 1, 2003

Any way you look at it, more Canadians work in a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) than in government or large business. According to Statistics Canada, in 1999, at a minimum, SMEs accounted for 55 per cent of total employment in Canada.Continue

Skilled in Training

May 1, 2003

Results of CFIB Surveys on TrainingContinue