Canada vs. U.S.: Why Young Workers Are Choosing to Leave

Canada vs. U.S.: Why Young Workers Are Choosing to Leave

From The Missing Middle Podcast by Cara Stern, Mike Moffatt, and Meredith Martin

May 13, 2026 · 17 min · Season 1 · Episode 175

About this episode

The episode discusses the reasons behind the brain drain of young Canadians to the U.S. and the controversial proposal of an exit fee for those who leave.

Why are so many young Canadians leaving and why are some people suggesting they should be punished for it? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux break down the growing “brain drain” from Canada to the United States and the shocking proposal that young people who leave should pay a $500,000 exit fee. They dig into what’s really driving this trend: unaffordable housing, stagnant wages, limited career opportunities, and policy decisions that increasingly favour...

People in this episode

Host: Mike Moffatt

Guest: Sabrina Maddeaux

Topics covered

  • brain drain
  • young workers
  • Canada
  • United States
  • housing
  • wages
  • career opportunities

Keywords

  • brain drain
  • young Canadians
  • exit fee
  • housing
  • wages
  • career opportunities
  • policy decisions

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Canada, United States

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