gloomy ‘Hardship’ different today The 1979. anyone’s guess, despite predictions from many quarters. Much of the conventional wisdom at the moment puts this year’s average jobless rate. at somewhere between 8.5 and 9.2 per cent, compared to the average 8.4 per cent rate during 1978. These forecasts. are in-— fluenced by the expectation of a slowdown in the U.S., which could affect Canadian exports - and jobs - by the summer. However - as Catherine Harris points out in The Financial Post - there is one other factor which could throw present calculations out of kilter, either for good ° or for bad. Last ‘year both the labor force and employment grew much faster than anyone expected, and nobody knows quite why. The labor force increased by 3.7 per cent, the biggest jump since 1975. But un- employment of crisis _pro- portions was avoided by a parallel, growth of 3.4 per cent in employment - the highest since 1974. Since the actual increase in the working age population ‘was only two per cent, last year’s labor force increase indicates a major addition to the number of people seek- _ _ ing work for the first time or, ae alternatively, returning to the labor. force after a lengthy absence. The 1978 labor force increase was _ particularly marked among young people and women. The Financial Post report speculates that there may have been two reasons for this. - One possibility is that people noted the high growth in employment that’ was taking place at the same time and refused to be dis- “unem- | . ployment picture is still by the high unemployment rate. Another is that, wages falling behind price increases, families second wage-earner in order to maintain their living ' standards. A further unanswered’ question:why did jobs in- crease by 3.4 per cent in 1978 when production rose by only an estimated 3.5 per cent? One unescapable conclusion is that there was virtually no increase in productivity. The explanation, accord- ing to some economists, may lie chiefly. with the manu-. facturing. industries, where orders and profits wer up in many cases, with a growth in exports helped by the drop in .the value of the Canadian dollar. Whether 1979 wil bring any similar combination of circumstances is still hard to judge, though some _ ob- servers feel it would be odd to have two years in a fow showing such strong em- ployment gains in a still, sluggish economy. Meanwhile, the Financial Post also poses the question: how many are really unemployed? It notes that there are no less than seven definitions of ‘‘unemployment”’, ranging all the way from about 3.5 per cent to around 9 per cent (based on 1978 figures). The numerous variables that go to make up these widely disparate figures take into account: 1. People who really want a job but have become discouraged and have given up looking. 2. People now counted as a neaeaeeeeersete --soeenerememtaeeiaaan meneame rg” re ce bogies P37 Hordy Street Vancenuver EF 6 Vis 154 Phone (GQ0d) GHEE Fb] Morita of Canada Dioperat bonurance Cone nation with= found -themselves forced to have-a > couraged from job-seeking unemployed who don’ t really want a job. 3. The degree to which unemployment is an actual hardship factor for the individuals concerned. In these days of welfare, UIC and multiple-earner families, The Post points out, *“*Hardship"’ may no longer go atitomatically hand-in- ment. Qn _ the other hand, very ‘low wage-earners and those confined to part-time jobs may suffer hardship’ without actually being listed ment’ In_ short, that the true ‘‘unemploy- ’ figure - in terms of its individual human _ effects has never been harder io it would seem glove with actual unemploy- as unemployed. . assess. Foothills Pipe Lines (Alta.) Ltd. Foothills Pipe Lines (Sask.)-Ltd. Foothills Pipe Lines (South B.C.) Ltd. Trucking Contract Prequalification for the Alberta, Saskatchewan and South B.C. sections of the The Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline Project Trucking firms interested in bidding for contracts to move mainline pipe from one or more western Canadian mills to various stockpile sites for the Alberta, Saskatchewan and South Eastern British Columbia portions of the Alaska Highway Pipeline are asked to indicate their interest to the above Foothills companies. This information will be used to compile a “bidders list’ of qualified Companies who will be considered for supplying this highway transportation. Contractors are asked to submit all pertinent information including, but not limited to, the following: io ss { -@),The number, make, year and model of highway tractors and applicable trailers in the existing fleet. b) A statement of experience in hauling bulk and heavy cargo with specific emphasis on large diameter pipe. c) A copy of the company’s most recent Annual Report. d) A statement outlining the extent of the company's Canadian ownership and management location (if not included in the Annual Report). Reply must reach the company no later than February 7, 1979, and should be addressed to: MR. W.H. WILSON LOGISTICS CO-ORDINATOR ALASKA PROJECT DIVISION THE ALBERTA GAS TRUNK LINE COMPANY LIMITED Box 2535 CALGARY, ALBERTA. T2P 2N6 DETAILS OF THE HAULING REQUIREMENT: * The pipe will be of 36-inch, 42-inch and 56-inch OD. in nominal 75 foot lengths, and will weigh approximately 6 tons, 8 tons and 12 tons per joint respectively ¢ All hignway movements will conform to regulations of the respective government bodies using equipment approved by them © Traffic volumes, originating and terminating locations, routes and duration of movements will be made available when tenders are called B Y 1 af end ATER tele “su cee patna atte ce ay ~ ot. SS SO Seok EN OR RC Sen ee ge pa ee 3 a 7 B . atin &, ESotiat fy sas > cial Bonn TN Bontae) Dee a