One of the issue's that hasn't been discussed as much as it should is the role of increased expenses on business's in Alberta and Canada as a whole.
If we go back to the economic boom times prior to 2015, a lot if business's were paying a higher wage than the minimum in order to attract staff, not all were but a lot.
A bigger issue than a small business's paying some teenager who used to work for $12 an hour, $15 an hour should be other costs. Property taxes for commercial owners have skyrocketed for a lot, to the tune of in some cases of like $50k a year. This has the added effect of increasing rent's on commercial property or keeping the existing rent the same despite vacancy and a downturn in the general economy.
We have carbon taxes, we have utility rates that have gone up, garbage collection, recycling bin's, changes to personal and business taxes that affect the business owner, we have liquor taxes, we have delivery costs and supplier costs, there is a HUGE explosion in delivery app's like Skip the Dishes, Uber Eats etc. They are now taking 25-30%. There is increased credit card transaction fee's as less and less people are paying with cash. Increased technology spend as well in today's "connected" environment.
There has been SO many increases to so many things all the while in the general economy thing's aren't rosy and people are not dining out as much as before. It's just getting expensive all around to go out for a lot of people. It's not so much the corporation's and the large chain's I feel sorry for it's more the actual mom and pop stores and small business's that are actually small.
I am Greek, a huge portion of the Greek community in Calgary has or has been in the restaurant/bar business, myself included. There have been places that have been family owned in Calgary for 40+ year's, gone through how many recession's and downturns and are INCREDIBLY efficiently run from years of experience, and some of them are suffering terribly business wise.
We are literally going into year 5 of a big downturn and with very little end in sight. Everybody needs to keep a lid on costs but what can you REALLY cut in some ways after you cut to the bone?? Perhaps some entry level teenager doesn't deserve to be on the receiving end of some of this anger but let's not dismiss employers and business's owners concerns either.
Good luck to all
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