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This report was developed through a unique partnership of Human Resources Development Canada, five Ontario government ministries and the academic community. This partnership was established to do three things: (i) identify an issue that was critical to human resources strategic policy and operational planning in Ontario, (ii) engage the best available academic network to scan the most credible evaluative research to learn the lessons of international experience in this area, and (iii) situate the findings in the context of Ontario and the knowledge requirements of both levels of government. In short, the objective was to identify and fill an important knowledge gap in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Three topics were chosen to be discussed in this report. The first dealt with recent trends in job quality in Canada, the United States and Europe, including their hypotheses and explanations. The second focussed upon recent trends in unemployment and labour force participation, hypotheses and explanations. The third topic examined the effects of employment protection legislation on job quality and unemployment. Following the release of this report, a workshop in Toronto was arranged where Ontario officials from provincial ministries and from HRDC Region took the lead to present the findings and discuss the Ontario implications. In this way, the loop was closed from initial identification and production of the strategic information in demand to the final assessment of its significance in the Ontario context.

During this process, an informal network was created among federal and provincial officials and international researchers that worked well and should endure. The success of this collaborative venture was due, in large measure, to the active participation of Moira Hudgin and Marie Gravel (HRDC Ontario Region), Frank Whittingham (Ontario Training and Adjustment Board), Benita Swarbrick (Ontario Ministry of Labour), Rob Swaffleld (Ontario Ministry of Finance), Dan Buchanan (Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services), Michel Theoret (Ontario Ministry of Education and Training), and Elizabeth Wagner (Jobs Ontario Training). I would also thank Abe Chiasson of the HRDC Strategic Planning Branch for his help in launching this initiative prior to his retirement. Finally, Professors Peter Kuhn, Steve Jones and Martin Browning of McMaster University provided the research contacts through the recently formed Canadian International Labour Network (CILN) that marshalled the empirical evidence, both published results and research in progress. Their value added was to sift through the evidence and establish what was credible to report.

The success of this project may recommend this approach to future and regular strategic scans for HRDC and provincial partners to produce credible evidence for consideration in policy and operational environments.

Ging Wong
Director
Macro Evaluation