Energy workers face some of the steepest and longest-lasting financial losses after mass layoffs, according to a new Statistics Canada report that echoes warnings from federal officials about the fallout of climate policy.The study, tracking displaced workers from 2005 to 2013, found that people in high-emission industries such as oil, gas and coal saw their earnings collapse by 73% in the first year after a layoff. Blacklock's Reporter says even six years later, incomes were still down 29% on average.“Generally displaced workers in Canada saw a relatively larger decline in their earnings in the year following mass layoffs compared with some of their OECD counterparts,” analysts wrote in The Impact Of Job Displacement On Earnings Of Workers In High-Emission Industries In Canada..The findings confirm a 2022 federal memo that admitted climate programs would bring “significant labour market disruptions” and that retraining and innovation would not be enough to save many energy-sector jobs. The Department of Natural Resources memo, titled Key Messages On Just Transition, noted that while some new jobs would appear in green industries, many would not require “green skills” and would not offset major losses in oil and gas.“More than 2.7 million Canadians faced significant disruptions in sectors affected by climate programs,” said the memo, warning that agriculture, energy, manufacturing, construction and transportation would all be hit hard.When bureaucrats asked in the memo how many oil and gas jobs would be lost due to Ottawa’s climate agenda, the response was blunt: “The answer to this question depends.”
