Melissa: The unemployment rate may be dropping but this is mainly due to such factors as a declining labour force participation rate and the growth of part-time "gig" employment. Studies on job quality suggest that employment security in this country has significantly declined in recent decades. The real unemployment rate, considering the impact of those who've dropped out of the labour force and those who've been forced to work irregularly, may be double the official rate. As for incomes, it's a mixed bag. Median household incomes have marginally increased in recent years although it appears that purchasing power continues to decline, likely due to ballooning housing prices and other rising costs that are beyond the immediate control of consumers, such as the McGuinty-Wynne regime's electricity boondoggle in Ontario.