The Conversation – Canada – Page 94

July 16, 2025

How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Melise Panetta, Lecturer of Marketing in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

Young adults in their 20s and 30s face an altered social landscape where financial realities influence their relationships. (Rene Ranisch/Unsplash)

If it feels like rising prices are affecting your dating life or friendships, you’re not imagining it. Around the world, economic pressures are taking a significant toll on personal relationships.

From strained romantic partnerships to postponed life milestones, financial uncertainty is changing the way people connect and relate to with one another.

Young adults in their 20s and 30s, in particular, are facing an altered social landscape where even the most fundamental aspects of relationships are being influenced by financial realities.

Dating today can feel like a mix of endless swipes, red flags and shifting expectations. From decoding mixed signals to balancing independence with intimacy, relationships in your 20s and 30s come with unique challenges. Love IRL is the latest series from Quarter Life that explores it all.

These research-backed articles break down the complexities of modern love to help you build meaningful connections, no matter your relationship status.

Financial stress and relationship strain

Money has long been one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships, but today’s economic landscape has made financial stress an even greater burden.

In Canada, a staggering 77 per cent of couples report financial strain, and 62 per cent say they argue over money. The rising cost of rent, food and everyday expenses has forced many couples to make difficult financial decisions, sometimes at the expense of their relationship.

These concerns are not unique to Canadian couples. A study in the United Kingdom found that 38 per cent of people in a relationship admit to having a secret account or “money stashed away” that their partner doesn’t know about. And in the United States, couples surveyed reported having 58 money-related arguments per year.

A woman sits on a couch with her head in her hands while another person, only seen from the neck down, sits beside her with their arms crossed — Money has long been one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships.
(Shutterstock)

Even more concerning, financial instability is affecting how long relationships last. A recent RBC poll found 55 per cent of Canadians feel they need to be in a relationship to afford their lifestyle.

The economic barriers to independence are particularly pronounced for those contemplating separation or divorce. Traditionally, a breakup meant one partner moving out, but now more divorced and separated couples are finding themselves cohabitating simply because they can’t afford to live alone.

Understanding how to maintain a healthy relationship when facing financial troubles is essential for couples to navigate these difficult times.

Postponing major life decisions

The cost-of-living crisis is also delaying key life milestones for young adults worldwide. A Statistics Canada survey found that 38 per cent of young adults have postponed moving out due to economic uncertainty, an increase from 32 per cent in 2018.

This issue is not only delaying the journey to independent adulthood, it is also reversing it. For example, in the United Kingdom, one in five young adults who moved out have had to move back into their family home due to the cost of living crisis.

Housing affordability plays a major role in these delays. With housing prices soaring in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere, home ownership feels out of reach for many. For instance, 55 per cent of young Canadians report the housing crisis is fuelling their decision to delay starting a family.

Several real estate for sale signs seen on a lawn — The cost-of-living crisis is also delaying key life milestones for young adults worldwide. Real estate signs seen in Calgary in May 2023.
(Shutterstock)

These delays have cascading effects on individuals and on broader societal trends, including lower fertility rates and shifts toward smaller families.

Dating in a cost-conscious era

One side effect of the rising cost of living is that couples are moving in together sooner than they might have otherwise in order to split living expenses. Others are adopting a more pragmatic approach to dating and bringing up topics like financial stability, job security and housing much earlier in their relationships.

A dating trend known as “future-proofing” is also spreading. According to Bumble’s annual trend report, 95 per cent of singles say their worries about the future are impacting who they date and how they approach relationships. Top concerns include finances, job security, housing and climate change.

At the same time, financial strain is leading to simpler and cheaper date nights. More than half of Canadians say the rising cost of living is affecting dating. Many people are opting for budget-friendly activities like coffee dates, picnics or home-cooked meals instead of expensive dinners or weekend getaways.

In the U.K., inflation and other day-to-day expenses have also made 33 per cent of the nation’s young singles less likely to go on dates. Around one-quarter of them say it has made them less likely to seek out a romantic partner altogether.

Two people knock their glasses of red wine together over a candlelit table — Financial strain is leading fewer people to go on expensive, extravagent date nights.
(Shutterstock)

These costs are forcing single Americans to adjust their dating plans. With 44 per cent of single Americans reporting adjusting a date for financial reasons, and 27 per cent outright cancelling plans due to financial pressures, it is clear that the cost of living is fundamentally changing how Americans date.

Also, with 38 per cent of dating Canadians saying the costs associated with dating have negatively impacted their ability to reach their financial goals, some are even skipping dating altogether.

The cost of friendship

Friendships, too, are feeling the pinch. Gone are the days of casually grabbing dinner or catching a concert on the weekend. Nearly 40 per cent of Canadians, 42 per cent of Britons and 37 per cent of Americans have cut back on social outings due to financial constraints.

While this may seem like a small sacrifice, the decline in social interactions carries serious consequences. Regular social engagement is critical for mental health, resilience and career development. The more social activities are reduced, the greater the risk of loneliness and isolation — two factors that can significantly impact emotional well-being.

For many, socializing now means opting for budget-friendly alternatives. However, even with creative adjustments, financial pressures are making it harder to maintain strong social ties.

The changing landscape of connection

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, you’ve probably felt the way the economic realities of today are reshaping what relationships look like. Rising costs are influencing everything, from who you live with, how you date and when — or if — you take major life steps.

Maybe you’ve moved in with a partner sooner than planned to split rent, swapped nights out for budget-friendly hangs or put off milestones like starting a family. You’re not alone. Financial pressures are redefining how we connect with each other.

Finding ways to maintain strong relationships under economic stress is essential. Research shows providing emotional support to your partner, employing positive problem-solving skills and engaging in open communication are key maintaining high-quality relationships.

Melise Panetta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love – https://theconversation.com/how-rising-living-costs-are-changing-the-way-we-date-live-and-love-252709

July 16, 2025

Biology is complex and diverse, so scientific research approaches need to be too

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Thomas Merritt, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University

The beautiful, fascinating and often perplexing world around us grows from intricate and convoluted interactions of millions of pieces. As scientists, we work to understand and describe the parts and interactions of these systems.

Scientific understanding is only as good as the questions we ask. Observing the world from a variety of viewpoints and asking questions from a diversity of perspectives helps us recognize and understand biological complexity. Science, and our own experience, tells us that diverse collaborations lead to better questions and more innovative solutions — but diversity in research is under threat.

A major advancement in modern biology, specifically in the world of modern genetics that our research team works in, has been the realization that genes are far more complicated than we thought 20 years ago. When the human genome was first sequenced in 2001, scientists realized that each person’s DNA contained around 20,000 genes. Earlier estimates had been between 80,000 and 100,000.

This drastic downsize may seem like a step back in complexity, but the reduced number means genes must be more complex in order to fulfil multiple roles and functions. There are fewer genes, but each gene has a complicated set of multiple functions modulated through intricate, interconnected and interactive gene-regulation mechanisms.

Model species, surprising discoveries

Our research group studies gene regulation using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model species — a non-human species studied extensively to reveal more about other organisms. Flies, like humans, have two copies of each chromosome, each copy with a full set of genes. Typically, regulation of each copy has been assumed to be independent.

a close up of a fruit fly — Flies, like humans, have two copies of each chromosome.
(Mr.checker/Wikimedia)

Unexpectedly, our research has found that in fruit flies, the copies on separate chromosomes physically interact to modulate each other’s regulation. This means that the chromosomes aren’t independent: they co-regulate in a way that depends on genome structure, or what we call chromosome architecture.

This form of inter-chromosomal gene regulation, called transvection, was originally described in the 1950s, but is largely unknown. Its potential role to drive biological complexity is underappreciated because its effects are often (but not always) subtle and generally overshadowed by “typical” mechanisms of gene regulation along a single chromosome, cis-regulation.

Complex genetic interactions

Our transvection research focuses on subtle differences between individuals and environments. Too often, biology assumes that phenomena are simple, uniform and discreet.

A classic example, taught in high school biology classes, demonstrates this thinking. Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel studied genetics in pea plants to propose dominant and recessive hereditary traits. His data was a little too clean, too good to be true: Mendel’s peas were either wrinkled or round, yellow or green.

Genetics is works in more complex ways: think of eye colour. Our eyes are not a dichotomous brown or blue. Colour varies in a spectrum of shades of blues, greens, grays, hazels and browns.

Similarly, we have shown that transvection, itself an unexpected twist, varies subtly and substantially, in unexpected ways. Recognizing that inter-chomosomal regulation was even possible, let alone could itself be modulated and variable, meant looking at our results from a non-typical view point, a different perspective.

Our research into stress biology has drawn similar conclusions; diverse responses are the norm and appreciating this variability is absolutely fundamental to understanding the system.

Differences between male and female biologies

In our research into metabolism, we have repeatedly found significant and substantial differences between male and females. For example, in recent unpublished data, we find that differences between male and female fruit fly responses to metal toxicity were as large as we would have expected to occur between different species.

Past conventional wisdom in the field assumed that the biology in the two sexes was interchangeable, with females essentially being just hypervariable males, although recent research in our lab and others is broadly pushing back against this misconception.

The male and female responses are similar but distinct, and this is an important point. To understand biology, our research indicates, we need to identify, appreciate and study these subtle differences in order to produce more thorough scientific investigations.

Unexpected complexity

Our research regularly reveals unexpected biological complexity and, not coincidentally, the studies listed above were all collaborations. The technical complexity of research often requires involving experts in multiple disciplines.

A typical project can involve half a dozen or more experiments and methods, ranging from biochemistry to genetics to life history, and techniques from enzyme kinetic assays to mass spectrometry and DNA sequencing.

We are part of a genetics research group at Laurentian University whose diversity has greatly strengthened the quality and originality of contributions we have made to the field. In our experience, diverse collaborations combining different perspectives and viewpoints lead to innovative conclusions.

The literature bears this out: a series of large-scale studies involving millions of researchers and publications repeatedly show that diverse groups of scientists ask more interesting, perceptive and innovative questions and pose more interesting solutions.

Diversity and innovation

But this diversity-innovation connection is under attack in the current social and political climate. This has been most visible under the current political regime in the United States, but is also present here in Canada.

If successful, these attacks will narrow the perspective of scientific research and cripple scientific advances. Current diversity is the result of decades of programs fighting generations of systematic discrimination. Many researchers have been making research a more diverse and inclusive place.

Sustainability is essential to the long-term health of scientific research. The research, and our own experiences, clearly shows that diverse groups of researchers conduct more creative, innovative and impactful science. Visibility in scientific research is important to ensure its sustainability. More young students will pursue careers in research if they can see themselves in that role.

Our hope is that a broader appreciation of the importance of diversity in research, will lead to greater community and political, support for research programs that recognize the fundamental importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The biological world is a beautifully diverse and complex place. To truly understand that world, the research laboratory must to be, too.

Thomas Merritt receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Allie Hutchings does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Biology is complex and diverse, so scientific research approaches need to be too – https://theconversation.com/biology-is-complex-and-diverse-so-scientific-research-approaches-need-to-be-too-260696

July 15, 2025

Vanishing data in the U.S. undermines good public policy, with global implications

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kristi Thompson, Research Data Management Librarian, Western University

The recent tragic floods in Texas have focused attention on the human impact of the cuts to government infrastructure and services in the United States by Donald Trump’s administration.

Although initial analyses suggest that recent budget cuts and loss of staff played no role in the timeliness of the warnings, many are concerned that a lack of data used to make critical predictions and decisions will increasingly become apparent as a serious problem.

As researchers focused on data management (Kristi) and behavioural sciences (Albert) and whose work tackles the significance of research with open access data, we have been concerned about how the data sets that scholars around the world rely on have been vanishing from U.S. government sites.

Vanishing data is of dire concern far beyond the U.S., including for Canadians.

Danielle Goldfarb, an expert on trade, real-time data, economics and public policy, notes that cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Arctic monitoring programs weaken Canada’s ability to assess shared climate risks and global shipping impacts. The American dismantling of key weather reporting also threatens the availability of crucial data for Canada’s disaster preparedness.

The Canadian data community is watching U.S. events closely, and this has led to the recent founding of the Canadian Data Rescue Project. The project has a dual focus: to support data rescue efforts in the U.S. and to set up preventative life support for Canadian government data.

Attack on knowledge

The attack on knowledge in the U.S. began in January 2025 when Trump signed executive orders mandating the removal of information on topics such as diversity and “gender ideology” from government websites.

Next, entire websites, data distribution systems and data collection systems began to disappear. The result was not only growing alarm over how the needs of marginalized populations are represented in democratic life and how public safety could be affected, but also concerns about a research and public policy crisis.

Environmental data was a major target, with climate change tracking tools disappearing.

And as part of the defunding of the Department of Education, nearly all of the staff, including the commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics, were fired.

Fundamental records

Government data provides the most fundamental record of how a society works. Health, social, economic and education data collections show a clear picture of how people live, and allow researchers to track how public policy changes affect everyday lives.

Government data is a unique resource because governments can require and enforce the collection of accurate information. This data also provides records of the activities of elected governments.

Eliminating data collection breaks the system of knowledge that allows governments to work well, and lets the public transparently see how they are working well.

Accuracy of data affects how people live

Data and budget cuts are already undermining economic policy in the U.S.

Inflation is a key indicator of economic health, and was an important electoral issue for Americans, with egg prices and other indicators coming up repeatedly in election campaigns.

But the Bureau of Labor Statistics, responsible for monitoring price changes, has been forced by staffing shortages to rely on less accurate data-collection methods. Now, according to the Wall Street Journal, economists are questioning the accuracy of the government’s inflation data.

Similar budget pressures hit climate science. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decommissioned its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Database as of May 8.

This data tracked weather disasters where damages or costs reached or exceeded $1 billion and helped local and state governments plan, allocate budgets and advocate for funding. Employment losses are also expected.

Internationally, shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development has led to data losses that will severely hinder global development goals. The Demographic and Health Surveys program helped governments of many low- and middle-income countries collect health and service data.

Losing aid funding will harm people directly. Losing the data will worsen that harm by preventing governments from making informed decision on allocating scarce resources, and it will hide how much harm is being done.

Limiting what can be known

Data destruction is a way to disrupt and control discourse by limiting what can be known. Without data, questions like “What impact are climate-related disasters having?” or “What’s the inflation rate?” are unanswerable. It becomes harder to effectively critique government actions.

If data destruction is an act of political suppression, then data preservation can be an act of political resistance.

In February 2025, several U.S. academic and non-profit associations got together to form the Data Rescue Project. They have worked to download data files, create documentation and prepare the data for publication on donated platforms.

While researchers are unable to change the termination of data collection programs, they are preserving as much data as possible so researchers and critics can at least access information.

The Canadian Data Rescue Project has hosted three data rescue events to create documentation for rescued American data sets, and is setting up processes to download and archive Canadian government data as a safeguarding measure.

Canadian data concerns

Disappearing data could happen here, and similar events have. Stephen Harper’s Conservative government cut data collection programs and issued gag orders to federal scientists.

The federal government reduced funding for environmental data collection and eliminated the First Nations Statistical Institute.

Researcher Melonie Fullick noted in 2012 that since 2009, “research on post-secondary education in Canada has been undermined by a systematic elimination of resources.” With the termination of varied education bodies or councils also came a scarcity of data.

The Harper government also eliminated the 2011 long-form census, replacing it with a voluntary survey, leading to the resignation of Canada’s national statistician and disrupting the baseline for all social and health data collection in Canada over the next few years.

Subsequent governments restored the census and some other data-collection programs, but in the case of education, researchers say some of the pains now being felt in the sector can be traced back to this period.

Canada at crossroads

A society knows itself through data, and makes a declaration about what it values by what it chooses to count.

Canada is now at a crossroads. Our researchers and policy analysts have piggybacked on U.S. data collection in critical areas from health to climate and weather forecasting. We now need a national response to help mitigate the effects of data destruction.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Vanishing data in the U.S. undermines good public policy, with global implications – https://theconversation.com/vanishing-data-in-the-u-s-undermines-good-public-policy-with-global-implications-258230

July 15, 2025

3 ways Canadians can take control of their finances in an age of economic uncertainty

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Omar H. Fares, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business, University of New Brunswick

Canadian consumers are beginning to move from short-term economic concerns to a more persistent mindset of financial precarity, and it’s starting to affect how they live.

People are delaying major purchases and starting to show signs of subscription fatigue, according to recent findings. One recent survey found that 70 per cent of Canadians are deferring major life decisions, including home ownership and family planning, as a consequence of this sustained economic uncertainty.

This anxiety is now reflected in broader sentiment. The Bank of Canada’s latest Consumer Expectations Survey found a sharp rise in economic pessimism. About two-thirds of Canadians now anticipate a recession within the year, up from 47 per cent in late 2024.

Concerns about job security, debt repayment and access to credit are also mounting. For the first time since early 2024, more consumers report cutting back on spending. Home-buying intentions are declining, especially among those expecting a downturn, and an increasing share of mortgage holders plan to reduce expenses ahead of higher renewal payments.

Consumers are no longer just reacting to inflation or interest rates, but adjusting to the idea that financial uncertainty may be here to stay.

Why today’s economic anxiety feels different

While the link between economic uncertainty and reduced spending is well established, what makes today’s situation different is the convergence of multiple pressures facing consumers.

This includes a challenging job market — particularly for younger Canadians — concerns about the disruptive effects of AI-driven automation, the threat of tariffs from the United States, ongoing global conflicts and the growing cost of living.

With economic uncertainty now a defining feature of everyday life for many Canadians, the sense of financial precarity is shaping how people think, plan and spend.

Addressing this new reality will require equipping ourselves with tools and mental habits that can help develop financial stability, even in unpredictable times. Here are three research-backed ways to do this.

A Global News segment about how half of Canadians are living bill-to-bill.

1. Budget based on values

With many people feeling the pinch or uncertainty around money, a more deliberate, values-based approach to personal finance is needed beyond traditional budgeting methods. If you’re looking for more control over your finances, it can help to shift your focus from just tracking where your money goes to making sure it goes where you actually want it to.

Research in consumer behaviour supports this shift in mindset. Mental accounting, introduced by economist Richard Thaler, explains how people naturally divide their money into mental categories like stability, family or learning. Budgeting then becomes less about cutting back and more about making intentional choices.

Studies have found that pairing this kind of values-based budgeting with simple practices, such as setting clear goals and automating transfers, can lead to lower spending and more consistent long-term behaviour. The goal is not to manage every dollar perfectly, but to make sure your money aligns with what matters most to you.

Since values tend to guide sustainable decision-making, a practical starting point is to identify three to five core values, such as financial security, personal development or time with family. Next, review your recent transactions and group them by the value they support. This reframes budgeting as a way to assess whether your current spending aligns with what you consider most important.

From there, assign a reasonable monthly amount to each category based on your income and fixed obligations. You don’t need to track every detail, but having value-based benchmarks will improve day-to-day choices.

Renaming categories in your budgeting app or spreadsheet is another important approach. For example, changing “discretionary” to “family time” or “well-being” can reinforce the link between spending and values. Set up automated transfers that reflect your goals; this might include creating a savings buffer, funding education or contributing to a low-risk investment account. Automation helps reduce decision fatigue and supports consistency.

2. Use pessimism to your advantage

While recognizing economic risks is entirely rational, how people respond to that risk makes a significant difference. Psychologists have studied a mindset known as “defensive pessimism,” a strategy that involves anticipating potential problems in order to plan effectively, rather than being overwhelmed by uncertainty.

Unlike chronic anxiety or fear, which can impair decision-making and lead to poorer financial and consumption choices, defensive pessimism encourages people to take a more measured, thoughtful approach. It combines realism with preparation and helps individuals stay focused and responsive in uncertain conditions.

People are more resilient when they focus on what can be changed. In practical terms, this might include learning a new skill, starting a side project or strengthening personal or professional networks.

To apply defensive pessimism, start by clearly identifying what could go wrong, then outline specific actions to address those possibilities. Break big tasks into smaller, manageable steps, create a backup plan and regularly reassess progress. This approach helps maintain focus, reduce surprises and turn worry into preparation.

These small, proactive steps with detailed personal reflection can offer a sense of agency that counters feelings of helplessness. Rather than ignoring challenges, defensive pessimism coupled with consistent reflection is about figuring out how to work around them.

3. Adopt a long-term outlook

Despite ongoing uncertainty, maintaining a long-term financial perspective remains very important. Research consistently shows that people who engage in long-term planning tend to accumulate greater wealth over time.

Long-term planning involves continuing to plan for future goals such as retirement or education, even when timelines need to shift due to changing circumstances.

One of the greatest challenges with this approach is known as the “sour grape effect.” This refers to the tendency people have to downplay a future goal or reward after experiencing early setbacks or failures.

A 2020 study with 1,304 participants in Norway and the U.S. found that setbacks can lead individuals to disengage from their goals. Participants were given either positive or negative feedback on an initial task and then asked to predict how much happiness they would feel if they succeeded in a later round.

Those who experienced failure anticipated much less happiness from future success. When everyone actually did succeed, their levels of happiness were the same regardless of initial feedback. Setbacks can lead people to devalue their goals as a self-protective strategy. However, participants with high achievement motivation did not show this bias.

In other words, when short-term disappointments are interpreted as failure, there is a risk that people may give up on long-term plans altogether. In these moments, the most effective course of action is staying consistent and committed, while still remaining agile enough to adapt as needed.

Omar H. Fares does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. 3 ways Canadians can take control of their finances in an age of economic uncertainty – https://theconversation.com/3-ways-canadians-can-take-control-of-their-finances-in-an-age-of-economic-uncertainty-260785

July 15, 2025

What Canada could learn from the tragic consequences of the Texas flash flood

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Gordon McBean, Professor Emeritus, Department of Geography and Environment, Western University

On July 4, a horrific flash flood occurred in central Texas, mainly impacting Kerr County. The heavy rain started at about 3 a.m., resulting in rainwater surging down mountain slopes, causing the waters in the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres very quickly.

At least 132 people have been confirmed dead as of July 14; most of them were in Kerr County. The area is under renewed flood warnings as heavy rains threaten to continue.

In recognition of the scope of this tragedy, it’s important to determine why it happened. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated that a special session of the state legislature will be held in late July to investigate the emergency response.

Acting to reduce impacts

Local Texas officials are facing questions over their actions in the hours — and years — before the flood. In recent years, multiple efforts in Kerr County to build a more substantial flood warning system have faltered or been abandoned due to budget concerns.

In 2015, a deadly Memorial Day flood in Kerr County rekindled debate over whether to install a flood monitoring system and sirens that would alert the public to evacuate when the river rose to dangerous levels. Some officials, cognizant of a 1987 flood that killed eight people on a church camp bus, thought it should be done, but the idea ran into opposition.

Some residents and elected officials opposed the installation of sirens, citing the cost and noise that they feared would result from repeated alarms. As a result, Kerr Country did not have emergency sirens that could have warned residents about the rising waters.

Critical warnings

The critical challenge for communicating flash floods is ensuring that early warnings reach vulnerable populations. Unlike slow-onset river floods, flash floods leave very limited time for reaction. This makes accurate short-term forecasting and community preparedness essential.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued its first public warning about the flooding in Kerr County at 1:14 a.m. on July 4, warning of life-threatening flash flooding, with subsequent warnings triggering alerts.

Floodwaters surged dramatically as the Guadalupe River rose nearly eight metres in about 45 minutes. The 4:03 a.m. warning instructed residents to “Move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”

The warnings were disseminated at night through emergency management systems and television and radio stations, but many people, including hundreds of children at summer camps, did not receive them.

Government agencies at all levels need to work together to ensure that residents of impacted areas move effectively to outside of the flood area or at least to higher elevation areas or safe buildings.

CBC News covers the flood warnings issued during the Texas floods.

Societal impacts

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Assessment for 10-year periods ranked extreme weather events as the highest global risk in both the 2024 and 2025 assessments. Floods are a very important extreme weather event.

The U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information published its review of events for the period 1980-2024. Tropical cyclones were the costliest weather and climate disasters, followed by: droughts, wildfires and flooding, which had an average cost of US$4.5 billion per event. The number of billion-dollar inland flood events has increased in the U.S.

Note that the dollar costs of these events in these assessments do not include the many societal impacts, including mental trauma and other health impacts.

Terminations at U.S. agencies

There have been major reductions in the staffing and budgetary support of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Services, which is part of NOAA.

The impacts of these reductions on the weather and flood forecasts that would have alerted Texans on July 4 are not yet clear. At the time of writing, the website for the National Weather Services office for Austin/San Antonio, which covers the region that includes hard-hit Kerr County, shows six of 27 positions are listed as vacant. One important vacancy is that of the key manager responsible for issuing warnings and co-ordinating with local emergency management officials.

The U.S. government has also reduced the funding for research on weather systems, including floods. There have also been reductions in the funding support for scientific analyses of how climate change will affect the severity of storms.

Deep funding cuts to NOAA may result in the termination of both the National Severe Storms Lab and the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations at the University of Oklahoma, which will have a highly negative impact on the understanding of storms.

Canadian floods

The Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory was established in 2024 at Western University to conduct leading research on severe weather in Canada.

Flooding is the most common and costly disaster in Canada. In the past decade, floods have averaged nearly $800 million in insured losses annually.

Over time, the potential for extreme rainfall events is increasing. Heavy rainfall events and their ensuing flood risks are increasing because of warmer temperatures.

Canadian data shows that climate change is driving increasingly severe and frequent floods.

Is Canada prepared?

Flooding will only get worse in the future, and government action is needed to manage this growing risk. One of the ways in which Canada isn’t prepared is that most flood-risk maps are out of date, with some being decades old.

While Environment and Climate Change Canada issues weather watches and warnings for things like tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and rainfall, it doesn’t provide flood forecasts.

Most provinces argue that water resources are natural resources and are therefore under provincial jurisdiction. This means that weather forecasts across the country are provided by the Meteorological Service of Canada, while flood forecasts are produced by each of the provinces.

It is important to take actions to address adaptation and climate resilience that consider future floods and their impacts. Federal, provincial and territorial governments will need to work together to avoid tragedies.

Gordon McBean has received funding from the Canadian funding agencies (SSHRC, NSERC) for academic research in the past. He has received funding for research from Western University including one grant that has not yet been completed and from the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction to participate in scientific meetings and conferences.

– ref. What Canada could learn from the tragic consequences of the Texas flash flood – https://theconversation.com/what-canada-could-learn-from-the-tragic-consequences-of-the-texas-flash-flood-260755

July 15, 2025

How AI can help protect bees from dangerous parasites

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Farnaz Sheikhi, Postdoctoral Associate in Computer Vision, University of Calgary

Tiny but mighty, honeybees play a crucial role in our ecosystems, pollinating various plants and crops. They also support the economy. These small producers contribute billions of dollars to Canada’s agriculture industry, making Canada a major honey producer.

However, in the winter of 2024, Canada’s honey industry faced a severe collapse. Canada lost more than one-third of its beehives, primarily due to the widespread infestation of Varroa mites.

Traditional methods for controlling these parasites now seem less effective, and the industry needs a transition to smart beekeeping if it is to survive.

We are currently conducting research to develop a non-invasive and sustainable method for the early detection of Varroa mites. Our proposed approach uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze images from beehives, automatically classifying them based on the presence of Varroa mites and the level of infestation.

Varroa infestations

Varroa mites are tiny parasites that attach to honeybees, feed on their body tissue and transmit viruses throughout the colony. Over the years, these parasites have developed resistance to the traditional control methods, necessitating more aggressive treatments. However, these treatments can endanger the health of honeybees.

The Prairie provinces — Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba — are Canada’s top honey-producing regions, with Alberta alone contributing almost 40 per cent of the country’s total honey production.

Canada lost an average of 34.6 per cent of its bee colonies in the winter of 2024 — 2.4 per cent more than the loss of the previous year. The winter losses across Canada ranged from 9.8 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador to 61.3 per cent on Prince Edward Island. In the Prairie provinces, colony losses reached almost 40 per cent.

Investigations reported that Varroa mite infestations were a key contributing factor causing the devastation.

Economic impact on Canada

Winter 2024 losses had a devastating effect on Canada’s beekeepers. The high cost of honeybees as well as the intensive labour and time needed to rebuild hives make them difficult to replace.

Within a stable environment and a thriving industry, increased investment yields higher returns. In 2023, the number of beekeepers and bee colonies in Canada increased by 3.29 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively.

Yet, in 2024, Canada experienced an 18.3 per cent decrease in honey production. The total national value of the harvest declined by 24.5 per cent, dropping from from $283 million in 2023 to $214 million. The Prairie provinces were hit hardest; the value of honey solely produced in Alberta fell from $100 million in 2023 to $75 million in 2024.

Limitations of current monitoring methods

Preventing mites requires frequent hive monitoring. Although timely detection is critical for treating hives, manual inspection is time-consuming and labour-intensive. Furthermore, frequent manual monitoring can pose risks to the health and well-being of honeybees.

Alcohol washes, sugar shakes and using sticky boards are among the methods for Varroa mites monitoring. In a typical alcohol wash test, about 300 bees per colony are sampled. These bees are washed in rubbing alcohol. Then, they are shaken rigorously to check for Varroa mites. The problem with this method is that all the bees tested die in the process.

While other methods, such as the sugar shake and using sticky boards, do not kill the bees tested, they deliver limited results and are not always as accurate.

This makes none of the current methods ideal; each involves a trade-off between invasiveness and accuracy. And given that testing must be done frequently, they all pose risks to the health of honeybees themselves. So what’s the solution?

Using AI to detect Varroa mites

There is an urgent need for the beekeeping industry to evolve to help prevent further losses and support the resilience of bee populations. Climate change and resistance of mites to traditional treatments are environmental alarms demanding a change in our beekeeping approaches.

This is where artificial intelligence comes in. Using imaging systems, sensors embedded in hives, image-processing techniques and AI, researchers are now able to continuously collect and analyze hive data to detect Varroa mites.

In this approach, a camera is placed inside the beehive brood box to capture images of the honeybees. These images are then transmitted via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for storage and analysis.

A neural network can be trained on the collected images — first to detect bees using object-detection algorithms, and then to identify Varroa mites on the bees through colour transformation techniques. Once mites are detected, their number within the hive can be automatically counted.

Using this technology, beekeepers can benefit from automatic monitoring of the hives. When the level of infestation is specified by the system, it can also recommend effective treatments for hives. This way, Varroa mites can be detected and treated at an early stage, allowing hives to survive the winter more smoothly.

Transitioning to smart beekeeping is a strategic solution that is non-invasive and environmentally friendly, cost-effective and profitable in the long term. The good news is that researchers at the University of Calgary and beekeepers are already working together to make this happen and preserve the sweetness of honey across our land.

Farhad Maleki receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Alberta Innovate. He is affiliated with McGill University, where he serves as an adjunct Assistant Professor.

Farnaz Sheikhi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How AI can help protect bees from dangerous parasites – https://theconversation.com/how-ai-can-help-protect-bees-from-dangerous-parasites-259495

July 15, 2025

How women are trapped in years of homelessness that often begin in their teens

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mary Vaccaro, Lecturer in Social Work, McMaster University

Many women without children in their care who become homeless in Canada remain homeless for many years. Yet their experiences remain misunderstood and largely ignored because of the ways we define and measure homelessness in Canada.

I have worked in the women’s emergency shelter system in Hamilton, Ont., since 2012. I have met many women who have been navigating homelessness for years — with no permanent solution to their housing crisis. For my PhD in social work, I interviewed 21 women who had experienced homelessness for a year or longer in Hamilton. I asked them about their experiences, and through art-based activities, about their ideas for housing and support.

What I learned in the interviews, combined with existing research, highlights a hidden crisis. Within our current system resides a profound human cost that manages, instead of resolves, homelessness.

Many women who experience homelessness do so for far longer than the federal government’s definition of chronic homelessness, which is six consecutive months or 18 months over three years. Research from the United Kingdom that focuses on long-term and unresolved homelessness for women found that the ways women experience homelessness is to “go around in circles” without having their housing or support needs met.

Among the women I spoke with, more than half had been experiencing homelessness for 10 years or longer. Six of the the women said they have never had a safe place of their own to live for the entirety of their adult lives.

All of the women who participated in this project accessed the services offered by the homeless serving sector, including shelters and outreach workers, designed to resolve their homelessness. Yet none of these women were able to have their housing and support needs met.

This means their experience of homelessness has persisted for years, and even decades.

Homelessness often starts in their teens

More than half of the participants I spoke with first experienced homelessness before they turned 18. Their primary route into youth homelessness was gender-based violence. They ran away from home when they were teenaged girls to escape violence and became caught in a cycle of events that include: hospitalization, incarceration, staying in youth shelters, living in group homes and unsafe places.

The Pan-Canadian Women’s Housing and Homelessness Survey, as well as a study on Toronto youth, echo what the women I spoke with told me. Studies from the United States also confirm similar patterns — homelessness begins early in life for a majority of women, and is often followed by a chronic, chaotic churn of precarious housing and homelessness situations.

The women in my study described a frustrating and exhausting cycle of going among institutions such as hospitals, jails, emergency shelters, drop-in programs and transitional housing programs. They had all spent periods of time living outdoors, in encampments, in motels, with unsafe people and in other precarious and temporary housing arrangements. This phenomena is well-documented in existing Canadian research.

Better definitions, better data

The Canadian government defines those who have been homeless and using shelters for more than 180 days a year as experiencing “acute chronicity.”

Another term used by the federal government for individuals who have accessed shelters at least once in each of the last three years is “prolonged instability.”

People who meet one or both of these criteria are considered to have the highest housing needs in the country.

According to recent federal data, women and gender-diverse people across Canada experience slightly higher rates of acute chronicity than men (13.4 per cent for men, 15.4 per cent for women, and 13.9 per cent for gender-diverse people). But the real numbers for women are likely much higher due to under-reporting.

Research shows women remain invisible to official systems during periods of homelessness. For example, the available data relies solely on information about emergency shelter usage. It does not capture experiences of homelessness that occur outside of the shelter system.

Women are less likely than their male counterparts to access shelters and other formal supports. Instead, they rely on precarious, unsafe and temporary housing arrangements to navigate homelessness.

In Canada, there are also fewer emergency women-specific shelter beds than for men

Rethinking responses to long-term homelessness

For the women I spoke with, the official 180 days or three years that makes someone officially chronically homeless in Canada does not even begin to describe the length and complexity of their experiences of homelessness.

They described wanting to live in supportive, gender-specific housing programs that foster community and care. Highly supportive housing typically integrates health and social services and a range of other support services. This type of integrated housing does exist across Canada — examples are the Block Line Supportive Housing Program operated by YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo and the Women’s Building (Alpha House) in Calgary — but there is not enough of it.

The current measurements from the government of Canada fall short of capturing the complexity of the homeless experience for many Canadian women.

Government officials must therefore not only rethink their definitions of those in the most housing need, they must develop responsive housing solutions to meet the needs of women who have been homeless for many years.

Mary Vaccaro consults for YWCA Hamilton. She receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. How women are trapped in years of homelessness that often begin in their teens – https://theconversation.com/how-women-are-trapped-in-years-of-homelessness-that-often-begin-in-their-teens-259239

July 14, 2025

School lunches, the French way: It’s not just about nutrition, but togetherness and ‘bon appetit’

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Rachel Engler-Stringer, Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan

This spring, as part of a sabbatical project, I had the privilege of visiting school food programs and meeting with school food researchers in six cities in France, England and Scotland.

I got to eat school lunches, visit central kitchens in two cities where meals are prepared for thousands of children, visit school kitchens and discuss school food with the countries’ leading experts.

This visit intersects with my research with colleagues on promising food programs across Canada. This research offers insights for consideration as regions navigate the federal government’s first National School Food Program and National School Food Policy.

Government announcements about the program and policy were followed by negotiations with the provinces and territories, all of which have since signed agreements for a portion of the funding.

In most parts of Canada, officials are just beginning to plan for new approaches to school food (with a few exceptions especially in Atlantic Canada where school food programs have been transforming much more quickly).

Based on my research about international food programs, here are four key things Canadians should pay attention to:

1) In Canada we need to shift from thinking of school lunches as a safety net for kids living in poverty to thinking about them as benefiting the health and well-being of children and their families. In France, this shift in thinking is particularly clear.

School lunches in France are about teaching children about food and culture and all kids are encouraged to eat together with an adult facilitator who teaches them about the components of the meal and creates a family-meal context at each table. By contrast, if you ask many parents in Canada what school meals are for, they will tell you they are for kids living in poverty to make sure they have food to eat at school.

If Canada wants a national school food program that achieves the benefits of the best programs in the world in the areas of education, well-being and on the economy, we need to think of school meals as supporting young people to be the best students they can be.

2) One important benefit of school food programs globally is to encourage picky eaters to try new foods due to the social pressure of all kids eating the same foods together. In three cities in France I visited, and one in England, school lunches look like home-cooked meals. One main dish with meat is served (and in England, a vegetarian alternative), and kids can choose if and how much of the side vegetables and fruit to take.

In Canada, following a similar practice — one main and a vegetarian alternative when meat is served — might work well. But it’s also important that in developing a menu, the cultural diversity of Canadian school communities is reflected in the food on offer.

In the other two locations in England and Scotland, kids choose from multiple main dishes — something that adds cost to the program and does less to encourage kids to try new foods, given one choice is always something basic like a cheese sandwich.

Kids need to have some autonomy when it comes to eating, but school food programs should not be facilitating eating the same food every day. Nor should school food programs aspire to a model where broad choice is afforded from a large menu.

3) With care, planning and sufficient resources, centralized kitchens can prepare thousands of servings of a main dish daily. The French central kitchens I visited prepare 6,000 to 10,000 servings a day of high-quality food following strict food safety protocols.

I ate two simple yet delicious meals cooked in municipally owned central kitchens. In the three cities in France where I visited, they used central kitchens where main dishes were prepared and chilled to be delivered for heating at the school level. Central kitchens also delivered the salads and sides (like chopped veggies, bread, cheese and fruit) and dressings.

In the small school kitchens, the salads were dressed, and the cheese and fruit were cut for service.

The central kitchens were also used in at least one city to prepare food for daycares and for seniors who were home-bound — something to consider for Canadian cities.

Centralizing kitchens can reduce costs and provide a way for high-quality food to be produced from basic ingredients without commercial kitchens in every school capable of preparing meals for hundreds of children at a time.

4) When designed with requirements for purchasing foods from local farmers and other Canadian producers, school food programs can benefit the agricultural sector and multiply their benefits to communities beyond direct school food jobs. In France, for example, there are specific percentages to be purchased from local and sustainable sources. Percentage requirements for local and sustainable purchasing should be enacted now in Canada as its program establishes itself, perhaps beginning with 20 per cent and growing over time.

I have many more reflections from my visits, both positive and negative, but the four I have discussed are important for Canada to learn from as it begins to design the National School Food Program to meet the needs of diverse communities from coast to coast to coast.

Rachel Engler-Stringer receives funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and received a University of Saskatchewan International Travel Award for program visits. She sits on the Steering Committee of the Coalition for Healthy School Food.

– ref. School lunches, the French way: It’s not just about nutrition, but togetherness and ‘bon appetit’ – https://theconversation.com/school-lunches-the-french-way-its-not-just-about-nutrition-but-togetherness-and-bon-appetit-259832

July 14, 2025

U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran could fuel a new wave of nuclear proliferation

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Saira Bano, Assistant Professor in Political Science, Thompson Rivers University

In the wake of recent strikes by Israel and the United States on Iranian cities, military sites and nuclear facilities, a troubling paradox has emerged: actions intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons may actually be accelerating its pursuit of them and encouraging other countries to follow suit.

On June 13, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. The operation began with a series of co-ordinated strikes targeting Iran’s top nuclear scientists, senior military officials and key members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Despite establishing air dominance, Israel did not possess the capability to destroy Iran’s most heavily fortified nuclear facilities — especially the Fordow enrichment site, which is buried deep within a mountain.

On June 21, the U.S. carried out major airstrikes targeting Iran’s critical nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Using B-2 stealth bombers equipped with bunker-busting bombs, the operation aimed to cripple Iran’s deeply fortified nuclear infrastructure.

Three days later, Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, bringing the 12-day conflict to an end. While both sides declared aspects of the campaign successful, the war marked a dangerous escalation in regional tensions and raised renewed concerns over the future of nuclear nonproliferation and security in the Middle East.

History of nuclear negotiations

The U.S. has consistently asserted that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. In 2006, Iran was subjected to international sanctions after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported the government was not in compliance with its nuclear energy obligations.

Under former president Barack Obama, the U.S. government pursued a diplomatic path, culminating in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment to 3.67 per cent and allow intrusive IAEA inspections. In exchange, it received relief from some international sanctions.

In 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, despite IAEA reports confirming Iran’s compliance. This decision undermined diplomatic trust and prompted Iran to scale back its commitments under the deal.

The Biden administration sought to revive the JCPOA, but Iran demanded binding guarantees that future U.S. governments would not again withdraw — an assurance Biden could not provide.

In the aftermath, Iran significantly escalated its nuclear activities. According to IAEA reports, Iran has more than 400 kilograms of enriched uranium to 60 per cent — an amount that, if further refined to 90 per cent, could be sufficient to produce 10 to 12 nuclear weapons.

Iran has long used its nuclear program as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the U.S. While Iranian officials have maintained their program is purely peaceful, the country produces more highly enriched uranium than it needs for domestic power generation. Enriching uranium has been a way for Iran to raise pressure on the U.S. to lift sanctions.

The second Trump administration resumed negotiations for a new nuclear deal aimed at imposing stronger constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.

Although five rounds of negotiations were held, a sixth round scheduled for June 15 was disrupted when Israel conducted a military strike on Iran two days earlier. The attack escalated tensions and derailed the diplomatic process, further complicating the possibility of reaching a renewed agreement.

Strikes could lead to nuclear proliferation

Although Trump claimed the U.S. strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, initial intelligence assessments were more cautious, noting significant damage but not total destruction.

Although it maintains ambiguity about its nuclear program, Israel is seen to be the only country in the Middle East to possess nuclear weapons. It has taken military action to prevent other countries in the region from developing nuclear programs.

In 2007, Israel bombed a suspected nuclear reactor under construction in Syria. In 1981, Israeli fighter jets bombed a nuclear reactor in Iraq.

The Israeli government may have calculated that airstrikes could also effectively work against Iran. However, the difference is that Iran’s nuclear program is far more advanced than Syria or Iraq’s were. While the recent strikes may have set the program back by two years, Iran retains the knowledge and capacity to rebuild.

Ironically, the Israeli and U.S. strikes, which aimed to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities, may instead encourage Iranian officials to accelerate their efforts. Following the war, Iran ended all co-operation with the IAEA, expelling inspectors and cutting off access to its nuclear sites. Without IAEA personnel on the ground, it has become extremely difficult to monitor or verify the scope of Iran’s nuclear activities.

Bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities each time it advances its nuclear program is not a sustainable strategy. Israel had hoped that a decisive military strike would trigger widespread unrest and potentially lead to the Iranian government’s collapse.

Instead, the opposite occurred: the Iranian public rallied around the flag, perceiving the attack as a blatant violation of national sovereignty. As a result, the government strengthened its domestic legitimacy and further suppressed political opposition.

For now, Iranian officials have maintained that they do not intend to develop a nuclear weapon. However, the Iranian parliament is preparing legislation to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which Iran is currently a signatory.

Exiting the treaty would remove a major legal and diplomatic constraint on Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. Should Iran decide to go down that path, it would likely trigger a nuclear arms race in the region.

Saudi Arabia has indicated that if Iran builds a nuclear weapon, it will seek to do the same.

The most effective way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is through sustained diplomacy and a renewed nuclear agreement. A credible deal that includes robust verification mechanisms and IAEA inspections and sanctions relief remains the most viable solution.

Military strikes, by contrast, tend to backfire, and will likely reinforce the belief in Iran — and elsewhere — that only a nuclear deterrent can shield them from external threats.

Saira Bano does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran could fuel a new wave of nuclear proliferation – https://theconversation.com/u-s-and-israeli-strikes-on-iran-could-fuel-a-new-wave-of-nuclear-proliferation-260897

July 14, 2025

A robot stole my internship: How Gen Z’s entry into the workplace is being affected by AI

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Melise Panetta, Lecturer of Marketing in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

For years, the expression “the robot took my job” has brought to mind visions of machines replacing workers on factory floors. But Gen Z is facing a new challenge: the loss of internships and other entry-level positions to AI.

Internships and junior roles have historically provided a predictable ladder into the workforce by providing new workers with the experience and skills needed for long-term career development.

But as artificial intelligence (AI) spreads to every corner of the modern workplace, these roles are susceptible to being replaced by automation.

Entry-level roles traditionally involve low-complexity, high-frequency tasks such as data entry, scheduling or drafting reports — tasks that generative AI can do significantly cheaper and faster than a human. This almost certainly means fewer traditional bottom rungs on the career ladder.

We are already seeing the impact of this: entry-level jobs are becoming scarcer, with candidates competing against a 14 per cent hike in applications per role, according to LinkedIn.

No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

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AI is changing the workplace

The integration of AI across industries is fundamentally reshaping the job market.

Nearly half of professionals worry AI will replace their jobs. There is good reason for this: by 2030, it’s estimated that nearly 30 per cent of work could be automated by generative AI.

Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of executives say they are willing to use AI tools to drive up productivity at the expense of losing staff. Conversely, only one in three executives are willing to keep their staff at the expense of higher expected productivity.

It is also projected that declines in traditional entry-level or junior roles in sectors such as food services, customer service, sales and office support work could account for nearly 84 per cent of the occupational shifts expected by 2030.

Talent and entry-level role shortages in the future

Data on AI and the future of work also points to another potential problem: a talent shortage for certain skill sets. A 2024 report from Microsoft and LinkedIn found that leaders are concerned with shortages in areas such as cybersecurity, engineering and creative design.

Though this data might appear contradictory, it signals that in addition to fewer entry level positions being available, changes to job roles and skill sets are also on the horizon.

As a result, competition for entry-level roles is expected to increase, with greater value put on candidates who can use AI tools to improve their productivity and effectiveness.

Rather than simply eliminating jobs, many roles are evolving to require new capabilities. There is also growing demand for specialized talent where AI cannot yet fully augment human abilities.

AI literacy is the new entry requirement

As AI becomes more prevalent in the workforce, “entry-level” roles are no longer just about completing basic tasks, but about knowing how to work effectively with new technologies, including AI.

Employers are beginning to place immense value on AI literacy. Two-thirds of managers say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills and 71 per cent say they would prefer a less experienced candidate with AI skills over a more experienced one without them.

With fewer entry-level positions available, young workers will need to figure out how to stand out in a competitive job market. But despite these challenges, Gen Z may also be the best-positioned to adapt to these changes.

As digital natives, many Gen Z are already integrating AI tools into their work. A report from LinkedIn and Microsoft found 85 per cent are bringing AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot into the workplace, indicating they are both comfortable and eager to make use of this technology.

This trend mirrors broader trends across the workforce. One report found 76 per cent of professionals believe they need AI-related skills to remain competitive. That same Microsoft and LinkedIn report found there has been a 160 per cent surge in learning courses for AI literacy.

This growing emphasis on AI skills is part of a wider shift toward “upskilling” — the process of enhancing skill sets to adapt to the changing conditions of the job market. Today, upskilling means leaning how to use AI to enhance, accelerate and strengthen your performance in the workplace.

A new kind of entry-level job

Since AI literacy is becoming a core career skill, being able to present yourself as a candidate with AI skills is important for standing out in a crowded entry-level job market. This includes knowing how to use AI tools, evaluate their outputs critically and apply them in a workplace context. It also means learning how to present AI skills on a resume and in interviews.

Employers also have a role to play in all this. If they want to attract and retain employees, they need to redesign entry-level roles. Instead of eliminating entry-level roles, they should refocus on higher-value activities that require critical thinking or creativity. These are the areas where humans outperform machines, and where AI can act as a support rather than a replacement.

But to make this work, employers need to re-evaluate their hiring practices to prioritize AI literacy and transferable skills over outdated experience requirements.

The future of work isn’t about humans being replaced by robots, but about learning how to use the technology to enhance skills and creating new entry points into the professional world.

– ref. A robot stole my internship: How Gen Z’s entry into the workplace is being affected by AI – https://theconversation.com/a-robot-stole-my-internship-how-gen-zs-entry-into-the-workplace-is-being-affected-by-ai-260381