Income Gap in Canada

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Question One:
It is often said that in Canada, “The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.” Respond. Be certain to differentiate between income and wealth. How has the occupy movement contributed to this debate?

Inequality in Canada is a growing problem. As income rises for the rich and remains the same for the poor, a gap is forming between Canada’s highest and lowest earners. This gap has sparked outrage by some, resulting in the Occupy Movement, and apathy in others. However, it can indeed be said that in Canada “the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.”
The reason for Canada’s large gap in wealth is best explained by changes in labour markets, changes in families and changes in public policies (Myles, 2010). In regards to change in labour markets, the most drastic result has been earnings inequality. In fact, in the past three decades, the income from the middle and bottom of the income scale have been without movement while the top of the income scale continues to rise (Myles, 2010). While Canada continues to produce an ever-increasing amount of wealth, those living on the bottom are not receiving any increase in wealth in its wake. Partly to blame for this is increased compensation among the top one percent (Myles, 2010). However, declining unionization rates also contributed, as well as the decline in earnings of recent immigrants (Myles, 2010). However, it appears that changes in family play the largest role.
The Canadian family structure has changed greatly in recent years. While divorce rates have jumped, and marriage rates have plummeted, the resulting change has been single parent families (Myles, 2010). As a result of this, single parent families do not have the benefit of dual...

... middle of paper ...

...h. While the occupy movement is able to draw attention to the problem of wealth inequality, more change is required if wealth inequality is to shrink within Canadian society.

Works Cited

Breau, S. (2013). The Occupy Movement and the Top 1% in Canada. Antipode, 46, 13-33.

Morissette, R., & Zhang, X. (2007). Revisiting wealth inequality. Perspectives on Labour and
Income, 19(1), 6-9,11,13-17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/213987690?accountid =14656

Myles, J. (2010). The inequality surge. Inroads, 66-73. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/861502404?accountid=14656 Yalnizyan, A. (2010). The Rise of Canada's Richest 1%. Policy Alternatives. Retrieved from http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Offi ce/2010/12/Richest%201%20Percent.pdf

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