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The Economic Impact Of Discrimination In Canada

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The Economic Impact of Discrimination
Introduction
I value the bringing up I had as a child, in our household discrimination was frowned upon, be it sexual discrimination or racial discrimination, there was no place for it in our home. We were not tolerant, because this would imply superiority, we were taught that all people are individuals and must be judged by their own merit, not based on categorical assumptions. Racial jokes were not tolerated; neither were misogynistic ones. Being exposed to prejudiced attitudes still makes me uncomfortable. In Canada the Human Rights Act, and various provincial laws, protect workers from discrimination in the work place. My own experience in the construction field has shown me that regardless of …show more content…

Such an economy is operating inside their production possibilities curve, and will not be using the resources available to their full potential. In general minority workers with fewer opportunities are willing to accept a lower reservation wage, and do the same work for less pay, or work harder for the same amount of pay (Rittenberg, & Tregarthen, 2009). Many economists believe that this will result in a competitive market creating a penalty to discriminating employers in the form of reduced profits (Autor, 2003). A nation that restricts the employment opportunities for some of its citizens does not encourage the advancement of human capital through work experience, Human capital that may advance its capabilities.
One thing to keep in mind when reviewing the statistics of discrimination is that not all of the information may be available. According to O’Neill and O’Neill, 2005, measuring discrimination and its effect on wage differentials is not an easy task, because many factors which influence the wages of employees are not considered when calculating the rate of discrimination

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