Statistics Canada has released figures indicating that in the past 10 years, small companies that provide services to other businesses have had a 67.8 per cent employment growth rate, compared to a national average of 19.4 per cent. One important reason for this growth is that large firms are increasingly contracting out such services as legal, accounting, advertising and security to small businesses specializing in these areas. During the same time period, employment in small companies specializing in personal services to individuals rose by 65.4 per cent, while food and accommodation services employment rose by 54.5 per cent. By contrast, construction industry employment dropped by 7.6 per cent, manufacturing employment showed an increase of only 3.1 per cent, and employment in agriculture increased 3.4 per cent.
These figures indicate a significant employment shift in our economy from agriculture and industry to the service sector, a shift that is already having profound repercussions on Canadian society. Do we have the wisdom to anticipate and prepare for the effects of these long-term changes, or will we contentedly muddle on in our traditional, adversarial ways?
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Harry Antonides is the founding editor of Comment. ... read more »