According to an internal report produced by the Conservatives.
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Canada's middle-class is mortgaging its future to stay afloat, making the Canadian dream "a myth more than a reality."
That's the blunt assessment of an internal Conservative government report, an unvarnished account of the plight of middle-income families that's in contrast to the rosier economic picture in this month's budget.
"The wages of middle income workers have stagnated," it says, referring to the period from 1993 to 2007. "Middle-income families are increasingly vulnerable to financial shocks."
The authors say middle-income families have seen their earnings rise by an average of only 1.7 per cent a year over the 15 years ending 2007.
This just isn't sustainable. I don't have the solution but I think we're going to see some real social unrest occurring in the next 5-10 years.
"Since becoming Liberal leader in April last year, Justin Trudeau has frequently cited the plight of the middle class, a theme repeated at the party's weekend convention in Montreal." it goes on to state,"Research from the Library of Parliament shows that since Jan. 1, 2013, Trudeau has used the phrase "middle class" 52 times in the House of Commons, compared with twice for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and nine times for NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. None of them used "middle income.""
Although leader of the opposition, it means that middle class is getting representation in parliament. Some more:
"In Canada, political parties are making the middle class a central piece of their agendas," (from the Conservative document)
as per CBC
Maybe it's not sustainable, but the government IS looking at it, and it will be addressed in the coming future. With enough attention, no need to panic.
I'm of two minds on this. Of course no one wants to see a shrinking middle class and wage deflation, but I also see so much unnecessary spending that people undertake that you have to consider that as part of the problem as well. People are having a harder time making ends meet and yet the mall parking lots are full and car dealerships are all doing good business. So while wages should keep pace with growth, so should common sense.
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I'm of two minds on this. Of course no one wants to see a shrinking middle class and wage deflation, but I also see so much unnecessary spending that people undertake that you have to consider that as part of the problem as well. People are having a harder time making ends meet and yet the mall parking lots are full and car dealerships are all doing good business. So while wages should keep pace with growth, so should common sense.
Encouraging people to spend less would mean people in turn make less.
As for the original post, there is not nearly enough data in it to make any kind of conclusions. How does 1.7%/year compare to inflation? Why are we worrying about data from a period that ended 7 years ago now? How is the middle class defined? Does that mean the typical middle class person has only seen their salary increase by 1.7% a year or would the typical middle class person exit out of the middle class to something higher as their career progresses? How do changing demographics factor in?
What am I supposed to be outraged about again?
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the war on the middle class wasn't just in the States.
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Originally Posted by puckluck2
Well, deal with it. I wasn't cheering for Canada either way. Nothing worse than arrogant Canadian fans. They'd be lucky to finish 4th. Quote me on that. They have a bad team and that is why I won't be cheering for them.
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Middle class is a meaningless definition. If you are not homeless and you're not flush as Bill Gates, you are the middle class. I know a two physician couple considering themselves middle class and I know two fresh Uni grads working part time jobs and they are middle class too.
Midlle class is simple a political construct to for politician to win votes. I much prefer the term, commoner, to describe financially myself and most people I know of.
Middle class is a meaningless definition. If you are not homeless and you're not flush as Bill Gates, you are the middle class. I know a two physician couple considering themselves middle class and I know two fresh Uni grads working part time jobs and they are middle class too.
Midlle class is simple a political construct to for politician to win votes. I much prefer the term, commoner, to describe financially myself and most people I know of.
To add to your point, it looks like 75%+ of people say that they were either lower-middle class (or working class), middle class, or upper-middle class. Nobody really knows what it means.
I wouldn't expect the results to be any different in Canada.
Middle class is a meaningless definition. If you are not homeless and you're not flush as Bill Gates, you are the middle class. I know a two physician couple considering themselves middle class and I know two fresh Uni grads working part time jobs and they are middle class too.
Midlle class is simple a political construct to for politician to win votes. I much prefer the term, commoner, to describe financially myself and most people I know of.
Commoner? That's... asinine. A healthy middle class doesn't get to define itself. You can't make 12 dollars and hour and just decide your middle class, in the same way that a household income of two doctors likely maybe 300,000~ is no longer middle class.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by puckluck2
Well, deal with it. I wasn't cheering for Canada either way. Nothing worse than arrogant Canadian fans. They'd be lucky to finish 4th. Quote me on that. They have a bad team and that is why I won't be cheering for them.
Commoner? That's... asinine. A healthy middle class doesn't get to define itself. You can't make 12 dollars and hour and just decide your middle class, in the same way that a household income of two doctors likely maybe 300,000~ is no longer middle class.
What is your definition (shout out to the Dream Warriors)?
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
What is your definition (shout out to the Dream Warriors)?
Middle class is difficult to put an exact # on because you have an upper and a lower middle class imo. Just off the top of my head I think if you make more than 40k a year you're entering the lower middle class. Once you get outside of 100,000k a year in personal income, not combined, you start to exit the middle class.
If you make enough money to own where you live, or, rent and save money comfortably, you're middle class.
If you live paycheque to paycheque, don't own your home, and have to struggle with bills, you aren't middle class. Again this is clearly not a science, but much like porn you know it when you see it. And a doctor making over 100k a year isn't middle class no matter the spin (or a guy making sandwiches for 12 dollars an hour)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by puckluck2
Well, deal with it. I wasn't cheering for Canada either way. Nothing worse than arrogant Canadian fans. They'd be lucky to finish 4th. Quote me on that. They have a bad team and that is why I won't be cheering for them.
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Commoner? That's... asinine. A healthy middle class doesn't get to define itself. You can't make 12 dollars and hour and just decide your middle class, in the same way that a household income of two doctors likely maybe 300,000~ is no longer middle class.
But it's an easy strawman to rally around to insinuate that there is no problem, nothing to see here, move along everyone.
The middle class isn't struggling with wages that don't keep pace with the cost of living, because people who don't know any better classify themselves in an arbitrary public opinion poll. That is my evidence.
'Canadian dream' is a myth more than a reality"
