measuring the quality of work in canada

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


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


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


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


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


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


$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


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)



0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Overqualified Underqualified Matched

Share of total non-managerial employment


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


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



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



20%

22%

24%

26%

28%

30%

32%

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Share of part-timers

Economic reasons

To attend school



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


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)


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"



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


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


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


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


Targets all employees and their employers, except in: agriculture, fishing, hunting, trapping, religious organizations, public administration



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


Targets all people 15 and older, except institutional population.



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.


Targets all people 16 and older, except full-time members of regular armed forces, institutional population, people living on Indian Reserves



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



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

measuring the quality of work in canada

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