Working Without a Net: Rethinking Canada’s Social Policy in the New Age of Work

Abstract

a Canadians are facing an increasingly uncertain economic future.From the steady erosion of Ontario's manufacturing heartland to the rapid downturn of Alberta's oil and gas sector, challenges abound.Moreover, even if the price of oil does rebound, or manufacturing plants are reshored, how many new positions will be full-time with good benefits and how many will be replaced by automated processes, artificial intelligence or robots?There are no clear answers as to where and how the jobs of the future will be created, and if they will be as reliable or plentiful as the jobs of the past.Increasingly, Canada's labour market is characterized by: