By David Farrell
By the numbers: Average salary in Canada
In 2020 the average hourly earnings in either full or part-time work was $31.35. This compares to $23.01 in 2010.
Looking at weekly wages, the highest paid sector by a considerable margin is oil/gas drilling, followed by work in the utilities: water, electricity and telecommunications.
The accommodation and food services sector, followed by the retail trade sector, provide their employees with the lowest average weekly salaries. Those in arts, entertainment and recreation earned an average of $621 weekly.
Dentists averaged an hourly rate of $75, topping lawyers by $10.
McCarthy Tétrault covid recovery and reopening tracker
As Governments and businesses turn their minds toward the recovery and re-opening of the economy, our team is closely monitoring updates from governments across Canada. The following summarizes the recovery and re-opening measures which have been announced to date in each jurisdiction. We will continue to update this summary as further measures are introduced across the country.
This roundup was last updated on August 18, 2021.
Canadian government travel advisory for Afghanistan
The security situation continues to deteriorate throughout the country.
Attacks are completely unpredictable. Targets could include:
government buildings, including schools
security and defence personnel
places of worship
airports and other transportation hubs and networks
public areas such as tourist attractions, restaurants, coffee shops, shopping centres, markets, hotels and other sites frequented by foreigners
In addition to targeted attacks, terrorist groups periodically fire multiple unguided rockets into central Kabul. These rockets are generally aimed at the airport, embassies, and government or military facilities but can land anywhere in the central area of the city.
Savvy, sentiment? Why is Thomson keeping The Globe?
Thomson Corp. president Richard Harrington plans to keep on buying electronic-information companies, but financial analysts have speculated he may also take a run at a company, such as information giant Dow Jones & Co., which owns The Wall Street Journal. The Globe will be the brand name for Thomson's information empire in Canada and the United States. Thomson could also integrate its holdings with Dow Jones. – Susanne Craig, The Globe and Mail
CBC Radio Q1
Net results under IFRS for the period were a gain of $4.9 million, compared to a loss of $12.4 million in the first quarter last year. Our results improved by $17.3 million due primarily to lower expenses by $20.5 million (5.1%), higher government funding recognized in income by $9.8 million (3.6%), and lower revenue by $15.1 million (13.2%).
Budget Results for the period were a gain of $22.5 million compared to $3.1 million last year. The improved results this quarter largely reflect our lower costs and the timing of recognizing government funding. Our budget results are normally higher than the IFRS (international financial reporting standard) results, which include certain non-cash expenses not funded by our operating budget such as depreciation and non-cash pension expenses.
Global Affairs Canada reacts to Taliban takeover in Afghanistan
The federal department is purging content from its websites and social media platforms in what officials say is a bid to protect Afghans at risk of reprisal from the Taliban.
But some of the content being removed or hidden also appears to include tweets that condemned the Taliban for “violent, destructive action” and others that promoted gender equality initiatives. – Amanda Connolly, Global News
Corporate mumbo jumbo explained
The philosopher Étienne Bonnot de Condillac observed in 1782 that “every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas.” Nowhere is that more apparent than the modern workplace. Jargon is everywhere.
Rather than improve understanding however, corporate double-speak can obfuscate and confuse. Worse, it can make you feel unempowered. Jargon is supposed to be shorthand for people “in the know” (like people of a certain profession or social group), but jargon can also act as a Shibboleth; when you don’t understand what’s being said, it can make you feel like an outsider, or like you’re uninformed.
And let’s face it, jargon is just plain annoying, so Asana has published a handy reference to unscramble verbal obfuscation. – Vivek Sri, Wavelength
Video streaming app revenue and usage statistics
In the mid-2000s, improvements to data speeds and broadband costs led to an explosion of first-generation video streaming services.
A group of ex-PayPal employees founded YouTube in 2005. Seeing the success of it, DVD rental company Netflix scrapped its planned streaming device and launched an internet-based streaming service instead.
Only a year after the launch of YouTube, Google acquired it for US$1.65 billion. At the time, it was seen as an extravagant purchase, for a nascent technology which hadn’t generated any meaningful revenue. But, for Netflix and Amazon, it was confirmation that this market was set for spectacular growth in the next decade. Business of Apps’ David Curry provides a comprehensive and informative overview of the sector that includes some mind-boggling numbers, as can be seen below.
Doc: The Men Who Stole the World
More than a decade since the global economic meltdown of 2008 devastated lives across the world, no one who caused the crisis has been held responsible.
Drought is worldwide. Here’s how different places are fighting it
The world is facing unprecedented levels of drought.
In the U.S., nearly half the mainland is currently afflicted, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The situation is especially dire in the Northwest, which is facing some of its driest conditions in over a century following a heat wave that killed hundreds of people.
No continent, except Antarctica, has been spared, according to the SPEI Global Drought Monitor. – Celina Tebor, Los Angeles Times
