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Suicide rate in Alberta up 30% in wake of mass oilpatch layoffs (cbc.ca)
7 points by buserror on Dec 8, 2015 | hide | past | favorite | 3 comments



The article states the numbers: year-over-year, for the six month period of January to June: 252 (2014); versus 327 (2015, +75). It continues: "In an average year, there are 500, according to the Centre for Suicide Prevention."

Curious about the larger context; do global oil prices represents the primary factor, for the mass oilpatch layoffs? Does the recession represent a temporary boom/bust cycle? Heart goes out to those affected.


A large factor for this is the current provincial government that was recently elected (New Democratic Party (NDP)). Their current policies of implementing carbon taxes and increasing corporate taxes in the energy sector when a lot of companies are already hurting can be argued for redirecting the already slim investments to other markets.


That's a minor factor compared to the enormous global oil glut with Saudi Arabia pumping flat out, and OPEC turning into a free for all two days ago.

TL;DR China has slowed down, and oil producers are playing musical chairs so as to not be left holding any oil when demand is gone.




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