Atlantic Institute for Policy Research Highlights
Economic policy commentary and research from the AIPR
New Research on Incomes and Demographics in New Brunswick by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards
Herb Emery
Posted: November 15, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Manufacturing , Research Reports , JDI Roundtable , Regional Economics
In 2020, the Atlantic Institute for Policy Research (AIPR) collaborated with the Ottawa based Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) to conduct statistical studies of the state of innovation, and of manufacturing productivity in the province. Three more studies are now completes and are available on the CSLS website and available on our Site: “North Versus South: Income Disparities in New Brunswick, 2000-2019” CSLS Research Report 2021-07, September , Nettie...
New Research in the NB Economy
Herb Emery
Posted: September 28, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Research Reports , Regional Economics , Manufacturing , JDI Roundtable
In 2020, the Atlantic Institute for Policy Research (AIPR) collaborated with the Ottawa based Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) to conduct statistical studies of the state of innovation, and of manufacturing productivity in the province. Those studies are now complete and are available on the CSLS website: “Innovation In New Brunswick” CSLS Research Report 2020-08, September by Kimberley Wong “The Productivity Performance of New Brunswick...
Economic survival means learning from the past
Herb Emery
Posted: May 26, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Regional Economics , Manufacturing , JDI Roundtable
New Brunswick’s economy and population have grown slowly for a decade because growth in our manufacturing exports stalled. Coming out of our COVID19 lockdown we can restart that economic engine but for that to happen, the provincial government and voters need to rediscover an understanding of industrial competitiveness. And the best way to get familiar with that concept is to revisit when the province failed to adjust its policies and regulations in response to external factors like an...
NB's recovery depends on manufacturing
Herb Emery
Posted: May 19, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Regional Economics , Manufacturing , JDI Roundtable
Has COVID19 temporarily reduced our capacity utilization in manufacturing or has it permanently reduced our capacity to manufacture? The answer to that question is what will tell us if we can expect our economy to recover, or absent a dramatic change in how New Brunswickers treat the province’s exporters, if we will experience the de-industrialization that a series have one term governments have attempted to stave off for a decade with their own variations on taxing, borrowing and...
Summary of COVID-19 guidelines for NB manufacturers
Jane Landry
Posted: May 15, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Research Reports , Manufacturing , JDI Roundtable
Drawing from case studies, recommendations, and current WorkSafeNB guidance, Dr. Sarah McRae from the JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness in New Brunswick presented her report titled, “COVID-19 Protocol and Considerations for New Brunswick Manufacturers” on May 14 via webinar. Dr. Johannes Doemer of WorkSafeNB was also in attendance to answer questions. The report highlights mandatory requirements, suggested protocols and occupational hygiene best practices for...
COVID-19 guidelines for New Brunswick manufacturers
Mara Mallory
Posted: May 4, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Manufacturing , Research Reports , JDI Roundtable
JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness in New Brunswick post-doctoral research fellow, Dr. Sarah McRae, has put together a comprehensive guidebook for New Brunswick manufacturers looking for guidance on how to safely operate in the COVID-19 era. Dr. McRae surveyed global best practices, as well as documentation from economies further along on the disease progression than New Brunswick. She pulled several case studies from global manufacturers which had pivoted operations to...
JDI Roundtable moves online during pandemic
Mara Mallory
Posted: May 1, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: JDI Roundtable , News Releases , Manufacturing
The JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness in New Brunswick, an economic policy research initiative at the University of New Brunswick, has announced changes to the 2020 program as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.“Our 2020 program was very much centered around our flagship event, the JDI Roundtable Forum,” says research director Dr. Herb Emery, the Vaughan Chair in Regional Economics at UNB. The JDI Roundtable Forum is a two-day conference that combines local research...
Is this NB's TSN Turning Point?
Herb Emery
Posted: February 7, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: JDI Roundtable , Manufacturing , Regional Economics , Government
A version of this opinion piece was published in the Telegraph Journal on February 5, 2019 Last Thursday’s State of the Province speech delivered by Premier Blaine Higgs has the potential to be an identifiable turning point for the province. It was more “call to action” than the ideological vision statements we’ve come to expect. The overarching theme of the speech was a stated commitment to growth led by the private sector. The tone was urgent and the listed goals are...
Dr. Emery on Rogers Voice of the Province
AIPR Staff
Posted: December 4, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Manufacturing , JDI Roundtable , Immigration , Government , Labour Markets , Taxation , Regional Economics
Dr. Herb Emery, Vaughan Chair in Regional Economics at the University of New Brunswick, was invited to Rogers Voice of the Province in October 2019 to talk about the New Brunswick's economy and how shifting manufacturing into higher gear could be a game changer.
Full report of the 2019 JDI Roundtable
Mara Mallory
Posted: November 26, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: News Releases , JDI Roundtable , Manufacturing
The following is a report of the proceedings of the 2019 JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness Forum, held in Fredericton, New Brunswick on September 25-26, 2019. Download the full report. Table of Contents A Message from Dr. Herb Emery What is the JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness in New Brunswick? “Can Anything Save New Brunswick?” Opening Remarks: Mr. Jim Irving, co-CEO of JD Irving Limited New Perspectives on NB Manufacturing Trends and...
Results of the 2019 JDI Roundtable
Mara Mallory
Posted: November 25, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: News Releases , Research Reports , Manufacturing , JDI Roundtable
The first year of the JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness in New Brunswick was about establishing a baseline of information about New Brunswick’s manufacturing sector and broadly identifying its challenges and opportunities. We had hoped to get some direction for Year 2 research topics from the discussions, comments, and observations of the first JDI Roundtable Forum. We were not disappointed. Already, our JDI Roundtable researchers are deep into a comparative analysis of...
When labour costs outpace productivity
Herb Emery
Posted: August 7, 2019 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Manufacturing , Social Policy , JDI Roundtable , Regional Economics , Labour Markets
New Brunswick’s economy is sick. Since the 2008 Great Recession, New Brunswick has been plagued by a chronic condition called “Baumol’s cost disease”, caused by the double whammy of an aging population and sluggish business investment. We have fewer people in the labour force and our businesses either don’t have the confidence or resources to invest in productivity-enhancing improvements. The result? Labour costs are going up but productivity is not. While...
Getting closer to market doesn't mean moving
Herb Emery
Posted: July 3, 2019 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Regional Economics , JDI Roundtable , Manufacturing , Government , Taxation
How can our export-based businesses grow? A common answer I’ve heard from New Brunswick’s export manufacturers is that they need to “get closer to the market”. Since New Brunswick isn’t a floating island that can be dragged closer to some other place, this seems impossible without setting up production closer to destination markets. In economics, transportation costs are “iceberg costs” – the further the goods travel, the more of the total value...
Announcing the JDI Roundtable
JDI Roundtable
Posted: June 21, 2019 12:00:00 PM ADT
Category: JDI Roundtable , Government , Manufacturing , Regional Economics
Manufacturing is one of New Brunswick’s most important economic sectors but little research has been done on the economic conditions that help or hinder them. The University of New Brunswick has a new program devoted to delivering timely and relevant research and advancing public understanding of the factors that impact manufacturing competitiveness in New Brunswick. The JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness in New Brunswick will be an integral, high-profile and ongoing...