Canada's Economy, Explained
Canada's Economy, Explained
Podcast Description
Canada's Economy, Explained: The Business Data Lab Podcast is an initiative of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce hosted by Senior Research Director Marwa Abdou. Designed for business owners, decision-makers, and curious listeners, this podcast delivers real-time data, expert analysis, and actionable insights on workforce trends, economic conditions, and more.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on economic trends, workforce data, and productivity challenges, with episodes like Canada’s Productivity — An Emergency 40 Years in the Making addressing low labor productivity ranks among G7 countries and Economic Outlook 2025 discussing the implications of inflation and labor disruptions. Key content areas include technological impacts on productivity, forecasts for economic conditions, and strategic insights for businesses navigating current challenges.
Canada’s Economy, Explained is the official podcast of the Business Data Lab at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, hosted by Senior Research Director Marwa Abdou.
Whether you’re a business leader, policymaker, or simply curious about the forces shaping our economy, this podcast brings you real-time data, sharp analysis, and conversations that matter. From workforce trends and inflation to trade, innovation, and inclusion, we unpack the stories behind the stats — with leading economists, industry voices, and fresh perspectives.
Timely. Insightful. Unfiltered. This is where Canada’s economy gets explained.
Do Canada’s public policies reflect the reality of today’s workers?
Many of the social programs Canadians rely on for economic security were designed in and for a very different era. Built around a mid-20th-century vision of work and family life, programs like Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, and key parts of our tax system still assume a post-war era worker that is full-time, uninterrupted and unburdened by caregiving.
In this extended episode, Professors Tammy Schirle (Wilfrid Laurier University) and Jennifer Robson (Carleton University) join host Marwa Abdou to unpack how caregiving responsibilities, gender inequities and access barriers collide with outdated policy assumptions. From motherhood penalties to administrative red tape, this conversation examines the hidden gaps shaping Canadians’ financial stability — and what it will take to build a system that works for today’s workforce.
Links:
– Tammy Schirle, Wilfrid Laurier University
– Jennifer Robson, Carleton University
– Jennifer Robson, Policy Options, IRPP
– Food insecurity among Canadian adults with disabilities is shockingly high. Here’s what we could do about that.(Robson, 2024)
– State Capacity and Administrative Burdens on Citizens: Time for Export Controls and Transparency (Robson, 2024)
– Finances of the Nation: Federal and Provincial Income Support Programs for Seniors in Canada (Schirle, 2024)
– What Proportion of Tax Returns Could the Canada Revenue Agency Complete? (Genest-Grégoire, Robson et al., 2023)
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.