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“We have heard from many people that they are no longer able to count on full-time, secure work to provide for themselves and their families,” he said. “Many people work multiple jobs, on contract or in unstable positions with unreliable hours or pay.”

From 1976 to 2015, manufacturing’s share of total employment in Ontario fell from 23.2 per cent to 10.8 per cent, while the service sector’s share increased from 64.5 per cent to 79.8 per cent.

The report was released amid warnings from business owners, who argue major changes to the province’s labour laws could have a negative impact on the province’s economic recovery and lead to job cuts. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce asked the government not to proceed without first studying the economic impact of the recommended changes.

The report concluded that employers would “benefit from happier and more productive workplaces” should the changes be implemented, and better enforcement of labour laws would ensure that responsible law-abiding employers wouldn’t face unfair competition from scofflaws.

Another recommendation was eliminating the exemption of students from the minimum wage law and phasing out the lower minimum wage for liquor servers — a policy that disproportionately affects women.

“It is just wrong in our view to pay a group of workers, especially when so many of them are women, a lesser minimum wage than everyone else, including others who earn tips, or who serve customers in a liquor-free environment,” the report said.

“One is left uneasy about the demographics of the sector and we question whether this anomalous treatment of liquor servers would have survived this long if most of the servers were male.”

The chamber of commerce also cautioned against ending the lower minimum wage for students, saying that while employers believe they’re doing a public good by hiring inexperienced students, they will be far less inclined to do so if they have to pay them minimum wage.

The Canadian Press