Unemployment in Canada: A Report From the Survey on Employment and Skills, draws on data from the Survey on Employment and Skills undertaken by the Environics Institute with the Diversity Institute and Future Skills Centre, which was conducted in six waves between 2020 and 2023. Across the six phases, a total of 34,740 Canadians were surveyed.
The report delves into the conditions that impact unemployment and focuses on examining those who are unemployed and looking for work and those who are unemployed and not looking for work. The report provides a profile of unemployed people and highlights demographic differences between (1) different employment statuses, (2) those who have been unemployed for shorter and longer periods of time, and (3) those who are unemployed and looking and not looking for work. Those who do not have a postsecondary education and those who have a disability that often or always limits their daily activities are most likely to have been unemployed long-term.
The most common type of reason for not looking for work is related to health. According to the survey results, 63% of the respondents report that they are not looking for a job due to physical or mental health issues. Other reasons are much less common and include worries about the COVID-19 pandemic, childcare or family responsibilities, previous experiences of discrimination at work, a lack of skills and experience, and the lack of desire to work. There is also a small proportion of respondents (3%) who reported feeling “discouraged” due to a lack of available jobs.
The long-term unemployment of people with lower levels of education and with disabilities suggests that there may be opportunities to improve the support for these communities through inclusive career pathing and counselling, skills upgrading and inclusive workplaces. Although there is no statistical correlation that ties discouragement to this group of respondents, other research reinforces the barriers that persons with disabilities (that always or often limit their daily activities) face in finding and retaining employment. According to the researchers, more work is needed to understand these barriers at the societal, organizational and individual levels in order to develop effective strategies.
To access the Unemployment in Canada: A Report From the Survey on Employment and Skills, click here.