Provinces are looking to reduce inter-provincial trade barriers and while that’s seeing some benefits for goods and services, it’s lagging when it comes to labour mobility.

Bradlee Whidden, a Senior Policy Analyst for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business explains why it’s important for workers to be able to move from province-to-province without a ton of red tape.

“We’re in a productivity crisis right now, which means we are not producing as many goods or services as we should be given the amount of effort that we are putting in. That causes higher prices and lower wages. Reducing labour mobility barriers would allow workers to more easily relocate to areas where their skills are in higher demand.”

Whidden said it would also help businesses fill vacancies more quickly and ultimately address both labour shortages and unemployment simultaneously.

Labour mobility barriers can come from the time it takes for a licenced professional to get re-certified in a different jurisdiction and differing occupational health and safety requirements, for example.

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