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Canada's leading independent, nationally focused think tank based in Ottawa. We exist to make poor public policy unacceptable in the nation's capital.

Sep 13, 2022, 9 tweets

NEW: MLI research finds that young Canadians are pessimistic about their economic futures - and for good reason.

Check out our interactive data set based on polling and focus groups examining the views of Canadians aged 18-29. @awudrick #cdnpoli
macdonaldlaurier.ca/after-covid-yo…

<40% of young Canadians expect to enjoy a better standard of living than their parents. “This pessimism seems to be the result of a wider realization,” argue Blair Gibbs & @awudrick. “Making economic progress is harder for younger people than ever before.” macdonaldlaurier.ca/polling-86-per…

86% of young Canadians believe their parents' generation had an easier time purchasing a home or raising a family than they are having or will have. This has major implications for financial and family planning decisions of Canada's young people #cdnpoli macdonaldlaurier.ca/after-covid-yo…

Young Canadians agree that older generations do not appreciate these challenges. Even so, Intergenerational inequality is "creating something akin to a debt timebomb for future governments in the 2030s" with "fewer workers supporting a larger generation of retirees." @awudrick

Young Canadians cited the cost of living, closely followed by house prices, as having the biggest impact on their lives – ahead of the pandemic and issues like climate change. Housing costs and student debt were seen as major barriers to progress. #cdnpoli macdonaldlaurier.ca/after-covid-yo…

Despite pessimism, "meritocracy seems to be a principle that young people do subscribe to in Canada, even if the road to the top of the career hill is steeper than it once was." #cdnpoli #cdnecon macdonaldlaurier.ca/after-covid-yo…

“The deck is clearly stacked against young Canadians on many metrics,” argue Gibbs and @awudrick. “Politicians need to start to promote bold policy reforms that befit the scale of the challenge rather than ignoring the problem.” #cdnpoli #cdnecon macdonaldlaurier.ca/after-covid-yo…

Young Canadians are supportive of a wide range of policies from across the political spectrum to rectify intergenerational inequality. Popular ideas include asset and inheritance taxes, tax reductions on young people, subsidizing childcare costs, and more. macdonaldlaurier.ca/after-covid-yo…

"The overriding conclusion from this study is that the policy environment should take the generational question seriously & not dismiss it as if the complaints of today’s young adults are transitory," write @awudrick & Gibbs #cdnpoli #cdnecon

Learn more: macdonaldlaurier.ca/after-covid-yo…

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