Many Canadians are facing insecurity in wages, employment and housing, creating a cost-of-living crisis. Carlo Fanelli, an associate professor in the Department of Social Science, has written an article for Policy Options responding to a recent piece in the Globe & Mail titled “What cost-of-living crisis? The data tell a different story.” The Globe & Mail article argues that the crisis is a result of perception, but Fanelli disputes this, pointing out that median wages are growing slower than rising consumer prices. Additionally, the labour market has become more unstable, and the housing crisis has furthered insecurity, with housing inflation outpacing overall inflation. He argues we need new policies that support low- and middle-income levels to ensure that working full-time provides stability and security.
Fanelli teaches and conducts research in the areas of work and labour market restructuring, labour and employment law, public policy, political economy and socio-economic inequality. Since 2009, he has been editor-in-chief of Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Research. In addition to his scholarly writing, he has written for The Huffington Post, iPolitics, Policy Options, The Hill Times, Jacobin and other outlets. His work has also been featured in the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Global News, Financial Post, CBC News, CTV News, TVO’s The Agenda and other media.
Read the full article in Policy Options.