The Federal Government promises more equality in the workforce with the 2018 budget.
The release of the federal budget on Tuesday has many takeaways including promoting gender equality. Economic Instructor at Lakeland College John Turvey says that the budget is one that looks good on paper, but is self serving for the Liberals.
“We also know in the back of our mind that this is an appeal to women voters and to different regions of Canada in the hopes of political support because the flip side of government policy and budgets is that the politicians want to get re-elected.”
The budget is proposing to get more women in the trades by giving $10 million in 2018 and $15 million next year to women’s organizations. Turvey says that the government is doing this by supporting more apprenticeship and entry level position for women into the trades and blue collar jobs.
Estimates in the budget to reduce the gender wage gap is about 2.7 cents of every dollar in the federal government and 2.6 cents in the private sector. Turvey says that part of the governments role is to promote economic growth and to due this they need to create a large workforce with women.
“One of the only ways we can do this is to increase the size of our labour force and also to increase the equality of our labour force and if we do that then what we’ll actually see economic growth in Canada.”
On average women earn 69 cents to every dollar earned by men on an annual basis.