Posts by Iglika Ivanova

About Iglika Ivanova

Iglika Ivanova is a Senior Economist and the Public Interest Researcher at the CCPA’s BC Office. She researches and writes on key social and economic challenges facing BC and Canada, including poverty, economic insecurity and labour market shifts towards more precarious work. Iglika is Co-Director of the Understanding Precarity in BC Project (UP-BC)

Iglika also investigates issues of government finance, tax policy and privatization and how they relate to the accessibility and quality of public services. She is particularly interested in the potential for public policy to build a more just, inclusive and sustainable economy. Follow Iglika on Twitter

BC Budget 2021 could be the most important budget in a generation

Apr 15, 2021

By Iglika Ivanova

BC Budget 2021 will be tabled on April 20th, in the middle of the COVID-19 third wave. It is an opportunity for the new provincial government to not only support people and businesses through this phase of the pandemic—but also to shape a transition to a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economy.  The COVID-19 crisis… View Article

Now is the time for BC to double down on commitment to $10-a-day child care

Mar 18, 2021

By Iglika Ivanova and Lynell Anderson

A year into the pandemic, there is a near-universal realization across Canada that the recovery must include large-scale public investments to build a quality, affordable child care system. This would enable parents with young children, in particular mothers, to return to work or pursue educational opportunities to support children’s healthy development in the early years… View Article

To reduce gender inequality, introduce paid sick leave

Mar 9, 2021

By Kaitlyn Matulewicz and Iglika Ivanova

In the week of International Women’s Day let’s celebrate BC’s positive steps toward gender equality while bringing attention to the changes still needed.   When it comes to gender and (paid) work, one recent big achievement is the BC government’s introduction of job-protected paid leave for workers who experience sexual and domestic violence. In March 2020,… View Article

Eight charts that show highly unequal impact of COVID-19 on BC workers

Jun 26, 2020

By Iglika Ivanova

The COVID-19 crisis has caused unprecedented job losses across Canada and BC has not been spared. Between February and May nearly 590,000 BC workers lost their jobs or the majority of their hours—23 per cent of all workers employed in February—with that number reaching its peak of 645,000 in April.  Despite a slight recovery of… View Article

BC Budget Consultation Presentation June 2020

Jun 8, 2020

By Iglika Ivanova

The BC government is holding its annual public consultation on Budget 2021 this June, inviting British Columbians to share their priorities for government investment next year. BC Budget 2021 will have to tackle the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis—the full extent of which are still largely unknown. It is hard to predict where we as… View Article

Paid sick leave finally on the agenda: Here’s why it matters

May 27, 2020

By Iglika Ivanova and Kendra Strauss

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that everyone’s health and well-being depends on workers being able to stay home when they are sick. In BC, workers now have a legal right to time off when they are ill—three days for regular illness and unlimited time for COVID-19—but not paid time off. As a result,… View Article

Working multiple jobs to make ends meet: More common in BC than we might think

May 6, 2020

By Iglika Ivanova and Kendra Strauss

The devastating toll of COVID-19 in nursing homes across the country has drawn attention to the fact that many workers in long-term care work at multiple facilities because they need more than one job to make a living, and this has directly contributed to the tragedy that is currently unfolding. Unfortunately, long-term care workers aren’t… View Article

BC’s relief measures for people on income assistance are welcome but more is needed

Apr 4, 2020

By Iglika Ivanova and Viveca Ellis

On April 2, the BC government announced emergency financial support for some of the most vulnerable British Columbians: an extra $300 per month for people  receiving income and disability assistance and some very low income seniors, for three months. This necessary and welcome measure can’t come fast enough.  BC is now only the second Canadian… View Article

A closer look at the BC COVID-19 Action Plan

Mar 24, 2020

By Iglika Ivanova

Less than two weeks have passed since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic and the fast-spreading virus has already led to large-scale economic disruptions and layoffs. Hundreds of thousands of workers, families, businesses and non-profits across Canada are reeling from the tremendous pressures on their lives and finances as a result. It was… View Article

What should be next for BC workers and families after the initial federal COVID-19 relief package?

Mar 19, 2020

By Iglika Ivanova

The federal government’s newly announced COVID-19 economic relief measures are a good start to aiding people and businesses whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the ongoing public health crisis. It was crucial for the federal government to act fast and provide reassurance to Canadians that help is on the way and more is coming, with… View Article