• Canada's key advantages include lower labour costs, especially for highly skilled workers.
  • Canada has the sixth highest average wages and salaries. But lower benefits costs, specifically public health care, vault it to second place in overall labour costs, behind Singapore. The U.S. is in sixth place, with labour costs 13 per cent higher than Canada.
  • Canada leads the pack in tax rates for research and development, with a negative 2.8 per cent. The United Kingdom is second at 0.2 per cent. The U.S. is fifth with 20.7 per cent effective income tax on R&D.
  • For larger cities, Singapore has the greatest cost advantages, followed by Montreal, Atlanta and Toronto.
  • Canada has the lowest average electricity costs, at 7 cents (U.S.) per kilowatt-hour, just below France and the U.K. The U.S. is fourth, at 8.9 cents.While the threat from a strong loonie and tax rates is exaggerated, rising electricity costs, particularly in Ontario and Alberta, pose "potential problems" for the future, Mair said.