Measuring the Quality of Work in Canada
Geoff BowlbyEconomist,Labour Force SurveyStatistics Canada
ECE/Eurostat/ILOSeminar on Quality of WorkMay 12, 2005
The Quality of Work in Canada
To cover:
Key sources of data on quality of work in Canada.
A review of the data using “decent work” framework
Brief overview of survey methods
The Quality of Work in Canada
Strong labour statistics infrastructure in Canada
– Focus on quantifying work but significant
amount of data to qualify “work”
No surveys or survey framework designed with sole purpose of measuring job quality
No standard that defines quality of work
However, many data sources that effectively comprise a system that covers major aspects of job quality
The Quality of Work in Canada
Main sources of data on quality of work:
– Labour Force Survey– Workplace and Employee Survey– General Social Survey (Time use)– Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics– Employment Insurance Coverage Survey– Census
– National Work Injuries
Statistics Program
StatisticsCanada
Association of Worker’s Compensation Boardsof Canada
The Quality of Work in Canada
10 aspects of decent work (ILO)
Data source(s)
1) Employment opportunities LFS, Census
2) Unacceptable work N/A
3) Adequate earnings and productive work
LFS, SLID, Census
4) Decent hours LFS, WES
5) Stability and security of work LFS, WES
6) Fair treatment WES
7) Safe work environment NWISP
8) Social protection WES, EI Coverage
9) Combining work and family life GSS Time Use
10) Social dialogue and participation LFS
The Quality of Work in Canada:Employment Opportunities
52
54
56
58
60
62
64Employed as a share of population 15+
Source: Labour Force Survey
The Quality of Work in Canada:Employment Opportunities
Source: 2003 Labour Force Surveys, OECD Factbook 2005
60.0
62.0
64.0
66.0
68.0
70.0
72.0
74.0
Canada Japan United States EU15 OECD total
Employment as a share of working age population
The Quality of Work in Canada:Employment Opportunities
Sources: 2001 Census of Population, Labour Force Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Canadian average Aboriginal people Recent immigrants High school or less
Unemployed as a percentage of labour force
The Quality of Work in Canada:Adequate earnings and productive work
Source: Labour Force Survey
$14.00
$14.10
$14.20
$14.30
$14.40
$14.50
$14.60
$14.70
$14.80
$14.90
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Median hourly wage of employees 25-54 years old (2001 CND$)
Hourly wages stable, little change in proportion of workers in low-paid or well-paid jobs in Canada
The Quality of Work in Canada:Adequate earnings and productive work
Sources: Labour Force Survey (2004), Survey of Work History (1981) – from Morissette
and Picot (2005)
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
Newly hired men Newly hired women Experienced maleworkers
Experienced femaleworkers
Change in median hourly wage 1981-2004 (2001 $CND)
The Quality of Work in Canada:Adequate earnings and productive work
Source: Labour Force Survey
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Overqualified Underqualified Matched
Share of total non-managerial employment
The Quality of Work in Canada:Adequate earnings and productive work
Source: 2003 Labour Force Survey
Living alone
Living with non-employed spouse
Living without spouse, but had children
Living with non-relatives
Living with employed spouseLiving with parents
Most minimum wage workersin Canada are youths living athome with their parents –
Should the share ofemployment at less than half median wage be a “decent job” indicator?
The Quality of Work in Canada:Decent hours
Source: Labour Force Survey
35.0
35.5
36.0
36.5
37.0
37.5
38.0
38.5
39.0
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
Average usual hours worked per week
The Quality of Work in Canada:Decent hours
Source: Labour Force Survey
10.0%
11.0%
12.0%
13.0%
14.0%
15.0%
16.0%
17.0%
18.0%
19.0%
20.0%
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
Part-time (30 hours or less) as a share of total employment
The Quality of Work in Canada:Decent hours
Source: Labour Force Survey
20%
22%
24%
26%
28%
30%
32%
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Share of part-timers
Economic reasons
To attend school
The Quality of Work in Canada:Decent hours
Source: Labour Force Survey
5%
7%
9%
11%
13%
15%
17%
19%
21%
23%
25%
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Share of employees working overtime
Total overtime
Unpaid overtime
Paid overtime
The Quality of Work in Canada:Decent hours
Source: 2002 Workplace and Employees Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Reduced work week Compressed work week Flexible hours Weekend work
Percentage of employees
The Quality of Work in Canada:Job Stability and Security
Source: Longitudinal Worker File – from Morissette (2004)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Permanent separation rates
Hiring rate
Temporary layoff rates
Percent of jobs paying $500 or more (1989 $CND)
The Quality of Work in Canada:Job Stability and Security
Source: Labour Force Survey – using “non-standard” definition from Krahn (1995)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Percent of employment which is "non-standard"
The Quality of Work in Canada:Job Stability and Security
Source: Labour Force Survey
10.0%
10.5%
11.0%
11.5%
12.0%
12.5%
13.0%
13.5%
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Percent of employees working in temporary jobs
The Quality of Work in Canada:Job Stability and Security
Source: 2002 Workplace and Employee Survey
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Greater reliance ontemporary workers
Downsizing Greater reliance on part-time workers
Greater reliance on jobrotation, multi-skilling
Re-engineering
Percentage of workplaces
The Quality of Work in Canada:Fair treatment
Source: 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
At work or when applying for ajob or promotion
In a store, bank or restaurant On the street
Total population
Not a visible minority
Visible minority
Percent of people who reported discrimination or unfair treatment "sometimes" or "often"
The Quality of Work in Canada:Fair treatment
Source: 2002 Workplace and Employee Survey
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Self-directed work groups
Joint labour-managementcommittees
Flexible job design
Problem solving teams
Employee suggestion programs
Information sharing with employees
Percent of workplaces with more than 10 employees
Type of formal program
The Quality of Work in Canada:Safe work environment
Source: Association of Worker’s Compensation Boards of Canada
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Number of work-related fatalities
The Quality of Work in Canada:Safe work environment
Source: Association of Worker’s Compensation Boards of Canada
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Number of work-related injuries
The Quality of Work in Canada:Social Protection
Source: Pension Plans in Canada Survey and Labour Force Survey
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Share of paid workers covered by a Registered Pension Plan
The Quality of Work in Canada:Social Protection
Source: Employment Insurance Coverage Survey
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Share of unemployed potentiallyeligible for employment insurance
Share of mothers who had receivedmaterity/parental benefits
1997
2002
2003
The Quality of Work in Canada:Combining work and family life
Source: 1998 General Social Survey (Time Use)
15%
17%
19%
21%
23%
25%
27%
29%
31%
33%
35%
Share of Canadians 15+ who considerthemselves workaholics
Share of 25-44 year old married fathersworking full-time who were unsatisfied with
their work-life balance
The Quality of Work in Canada:Combining work and family life
Source: 1992 and 1998 General Social Survey (Time Use)
0
5
10
15
20
25
1992 1998
Men
Women
Percent of population 15+ who are "time-stressed"
The Quality of Work in Canada:Social dialogue and participation
Source: Labour Force Survey
31.0%
31.2%
31.4%
31.6%
31.8%
32.0%
32.2%
32.4%
32.6%
32.8%
33.0%
33.2%
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Share of employees who are covered by collective agreement
The Quality of Work in Canada:Survey Methods
Labour Force Survey: Large monthly household survey (52,000 households)
Multi-stage, stratified sample: dwellings drawn from listing of neighborhoods (clusters) selected for sample from homogeneous geographic strata.
In sample for six months, 1/6 rotate in/out each month
Coverage in south of Canada (10 provinces)
Targets all people 15 and older, except full-time members of regular armed forces, institutional population, people living on Indian Reserves
For more information see: www.statcan.ca
The Quality of Work in Canada:Survey Methods
Workplace and Employee Survey: Annual survey of 20,000+ employees linked to a survey of their
employers (6,000+)
Sample of employers drawn from business registry, list of employees provided to StatsCan for employee survey
Longitudinal: Employees in for 2 years, employers for 8
Coverage in south of Canada (10 provinces)
Targets all employees and their employers, except in: agriculture, fishing, hunting, trapping, religious organizations, public administration
For more information see: www.statcan.ca
The Quality of Work in Canada:Survey Methods
General Social Survey (Time use): Time use topic of GSS in 1986, 1992, 1998, 2005
10,749 respondents in 1998
Random digit dialing (telephone frame) to gather information collected in diaries given to respondents
Coverage in south of Canada (10 provinces)
Targets all people 15 and older, except institutional population.
For more information see: www.statcan.ca
The Quality of Work in Canada:Survey Methods
Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics:
Annual survey of people in 30,000+ households
Selected from Labour Force Survey sample
Longitudinal – 2 panels of 15,000+ households in sample for six consecutive years.
Coverage in south of Canada (10 provinces)
Targets all people 16 and older, except full-time members of regular armed forces, institutional population, people living on Indian Reserves
For more information see: www.statcan.ca
The Quality of Work in Canada:Survey Methods
Census of Population:
Household census conducted every five years
25% of households selected for “long-form”
Full coverage in Canada (10 provinces + 3 northern territories)
Modified de jure population census
For more information see: www.statcan.ca
The Quality of Work in Canada:Survey Methods
National Work Injuries Statistics Program:
Run by Association of Worker’s Compensation Boards of Canada
Data derived from administrative records for time-loss injuries and fatalities accepted by provincially-run Worker’s Compensation boards or commissions.
Not included: minor injuries not reported to a WC board; injuries to the self-employed