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2023 Provincial Budget Submission The submission calls for the Government of Ontario to continue to prioritize growth-enabling investments to address labour shortages, the health care crisis, infrastructure deficits, and modernize regulations and government services in the year ahead. Click here to read our full submission. The recommendations outlined in the OCC’s budget submission were developed…

March is Fraud Prevention Month In recognition of Fraud Prevention Month in March, the team at the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) has launched fraud prevention toolkits to help Canadians protect themselves against common and emerging scams. The toolkits are customized for individuals, small businesses and older adults and offer actionable tips and useful checklists to…

Ontario Expands Employment Services to Help More People Find Good Jobs Ontario is expanding the province’s new employment services to five more regions to help more people who can and are able to work find better jobs and earn bigger paycheques for themselves and their families. The improved system will help thousands of unemployed people…

Ontario Helping More Students Enter the Skilled Trades Faster The Ontario government is preparing young people for in-demand and well-paying careers by allowing students in grade 11 to transition to a full-time, skilled trades apprenticeship program. Upon receiving their Certificate of Apprenticeship, these young workers can apply for their Ontario Secondary School Diploma as mature…

Tackling the She-Covery Critical to Canada’s Growth The OCC’s 2023 Ontario Economic Report revealed that businesses’ second highest public policy priority is workforce development; and we all know a strong workforce is an inclusive one. We encourage public policy makers to prioritize direct supports for women and other equity-deserving groups in their upcoming budgets to…

2023 Q1 Canadian Survey on Business Conditions: Cost Problems Persist The Business Data Lab’s most recent analysis focuses on first quarter data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC). Important findings, include: The rising costs of doing business remains the biggest challenge for Canadian companies. Even though inflation is slowing, it’s still the top…

January 2023 Consumer Price Index: Steady progress as inflation continues to slow It was another month of progress in the Bank of Canada’s fight against inflation, as Canada’s headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation grew at a slower pace of 5.9% year-over-year in January, which was better than the market expectation of 6.2%. It was…

New Federal Electoral Map for Ontario Tabled in the House of Commons The report by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario, outlining its proposed changes to the province’s federal electoral map, was tabled in the House of Commons February 10th. The Commission was tasked with proposing new boundaries that, as best as possible, maintain…

2023 Ontario Economic Report The seventh annual OER offers unique insights into business perspectives across Ontario. It is informed by data from our annual Business Confidence Survey (BCS) and economic forecasts for the year ahead. The BCS was conducted online from October 18 to November 30 2022, attracting responses from 1,912 organizations across Ontario. The…

ServiceOntario Update ServiceOntario is also enhancing the customer experience through a number of pilot programs including virtual services. Eligible Ontarians who may find it difficult to visit a ServiceOntario centre in person can book virtual appointments to have their health cards renewed through live video calls. For those phoning the Contact Centre, new technology is rolling out…