After two decades of rapid technological and structural change and an overall record of poor economic performance, Canadians need to take stock of the ongoing transformation of the labour market and its implications for public policy. The fundamental changes to the nature of work itself suggest that labour and social policies established decades ago may no longer be adequate or appropriate. Moreover, the continuing perception of increased instability and worsening employment outcomes, and the growing concern over increased earnings inequality and labour market polarization, have raised...

The issue of productivity and the related issue of innovation continue to be high on the public policy agenda. Policymakers are particularly interested in the social aspects of productivity. In The Review of Economic Performance and Social Progress, 2002, the second issue of a new annual, authors examine the two-way linkages between productivity and various measures of social progress in Canada. Papers in the volume fall into two main themes: the effects of productivity on social progress indicators and the social determinants of productivity.