Labour has significant leverage in the calgary market. There is simply a shortage of willing skilled manpower. Why is this? Theories include the millennial just wants to stay home and trade crypto from his moms basement. Is this factual? All of the small business owner operators tell me the same thing and share the same complaints, that wage expectations are crazy and often even those who agree to work don’t show up. Then they wonder how the absentee staff they have can afford to live, given the high cost of living encountered by everyone, particularly those that aren’t earning enough. What this means is that for those with some skills, like framing carpentry can make an impressive wage by freelancing from one small contract to the next. Easily 100$ per hour can be earned by good workers with minimal overhead, a car, and some tools. This must have some appeal to people working dead end low wage jobs, if they can get used to the physicality of construction work. Self employment will have its drawbacks but surely the earning potential has to be massively better than working at a coffee shop, or in retail.