We are the foremost independent, applied research organization in Canada. We deliver unique insights into Canada’s toughest problems.

Latest Research

Person paying by card
Retail sales boom but Omicron spoils the party

The Omicron variant swept through the country before the holidays, with most provinces seeing record high cases and hospitalizations. This forced many provinces to impose stricter restrictions, with the common denominator being limited customer capacity for retailers. On top of that, steadily rising prices, waning household savings, and lingering supply chain disruptions are also taking their toll on the retail industry.

Quick take  |  2-min read
January 21, 2022
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

Woman smiling at computer
Canada’s CPI ended 2021 on a high note

From boardrooms to living rooms, inflation remains the topic du jour. December’s CPI figures make that unlikely to change any time soon. Inflation has now been above Bank of Canada’s upper target range of three per cent for nine months. Gasoline and housing-related costs remain some of the strongest upward contributors to year-over-year price increases.

Quick take  |  2-min read
January 19, 2022
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

Girls in front of pc
Canadian Human Resources Metrics Benchmarking

Build and refine your Human Resources (HR) practices for managing your teams. Understand the current business environment, and know what’s changing. Our data from across Canadian industries and regions will help you see where you excel and where you can grow.

Online experience  |  8-min read
January 14, 2022
Focus Area—Human Resources

Truck driving down the road
Fuelling 2050: the Road Forward

In the past 10 years, many pathways have been developed to show how Canada can transition to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Evaluating the best inputs and forecasts from this library of options through a lens of achievability rather than an aspirational one is a challenge. Aspiration is important, but with 29 years left to 2050, Canada’s energy system requires a “most likely outcome” for policy and practical guidance.

Impact paper  |  46-min read
January 13, 2022
Focus Area—Sustainability

Focus Areas

Group of women working on a computer; looking up at skyscrapers

Future Skills Centre Research

Two female students building a machine
Future Skills Summit

Our nation’s labour market is undergoing massive change. It’s being shaped by effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as unprecedented demographic shifts, economic changes and technological advances. To navigate these disruptions and foster the future prosperity of Canada, we must support the lifelong skills development of our workforce.

Summit  |  Virtual
February 22–24, 2022
Client—Future Skills Centre

Values, Knowledge, and Vision: How Inuit Skills Can Strengthen Northern Economies

The relationship between the wage economy and the traditional land-based economy in Inuit Nunangat is complex—as is Inuit participation in both. Traditional land-based activities such as hunting and harvesting are integral to community food security and cultural continuity, but the ways in which Inuit experience and earn these livelihoods continue to evolve.

Primer  |  18-min read
December 20, 2021
Focus Area—Indigenous & Northern Communities
Client—Future Skills Centre

Boat in water
Made in Nunavut: Building Inuit Skills for Northern Offshore Fisheries and Beyond

Nunavut’s economy is largely dependent on mining and public administration. But the territory’s commercial fishery and associated marine capacity has continued to grow over the past two decades. Just prior to COVID-19, the Nunavut Fisheries Alliance estimated that the territory’s commercial fishery added $112 million to Canada’s 2019 GDP. This includes the fishery’s direct operations, its companies’ supply chains, and associated consumer spending.

Impact paper  |  30-min read
December 14, 2021
Focus Area—Indigenous & Northern Communities
Client—Future Skills Centre

View all FSC research