There’s a common belief among Millennials that their baby boomer parents are ruining everything.
According to new census data from Statistics Canada, it’s kind of true.
The recently released figures reveal almost 20 per cent of Canadians over 65 years of age worked last year, which is more than double the amount compared to 20 years ago. Conversely, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 were less likely to work in 2016 compared with 2006. As more people are forced to work past the age of retirement, there are fewer part-time jobs available to younger Canadians.
The hardship extended to those between the ages of 25 and 54: less than half of Canadians in this bracket worked full-time, year-round jobs last year. It’s the lowest rate since Statistics Canada began keeping records.
Don’t go yelling at your parents, though – blame the robots.
“The shift away from full-time, year-round employment to part-time and part-year work is related to a combination of social and economic changes, such as the 2008-2009 financial crisis and automation technologies, which have affected the labour market,” reads the Statistics Canada report.
“It also coincides with a shift from traditional to more flexible work schedules—and personal choice.” Translation: more and more people are opting for the #freelancelife.
While Canada’s unemployment rate last year was 7.7 per cent for men and 6.2 per cent for women, a closer look at the numbers paints a less rosy picture. The proportion of men who did not work at all during 2016 increased from 8.3% to 10.0%; that figure for women stands at 17.6%.
Interesting notes from the report:
- – In the last decade, about two-thirds of Canada’s population growth was the result of migratory increase (the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants)
- – Young men (aged 15 to 24) were less likely to work than their female counterparts in 2016.
- – The overall employment rate for youth was highest in Quebec (54.8%) and Alberta (54.4%). The youth employment rate was lowest in Nunavut (32.0%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (42.8%).
- – Employment growth was strongest in service-producing industries, which has been the case for half a century.
- – The most common occupation in Canada is retail salesperson.
