Research summary: Impact of Covid-19 on full-time full-year employment
Official title: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on full-time full-year employment in Canada and factors related to the impact: GBA+ analysis
Authors of the report: Nina Ahmed
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Impact of Covid-19 on full-time full-year employment [PDF - 303 KB]
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Why this study
Core working-age people generally prefer full-time, year-round work. Policymakers look to make those jobs more available. Not enough is known about the impact of COVID-19 on this kind of work in Canada. The 2021 Census included a question on who adjusted their full-time, year-round work because of COVID-19. This allowed us to explore the pandemic's lasting effects on employees. It also allowed us to explore their unique characteristics.
What we did
Using 2021 Census data, this study examined the impact of COVID-19 on full-time employees who had to reduce their year-round employment. It also examined other characteristics like ethnicity and immigration status. This study features a GBA+ analysis.
What we found
We found that over a quarter of employees aged 15 to 74 seeking full-time work were unable to find it for the entire year due to COVID-19. On average, these employees lost more than 21 weeks of full-time work. Nearly 2/5 lost more than 25 weeks, and 1/5 lost more than 38 weeks. The pandemic heavily impacted workers in:
- sales and services occupations
- arts
- culture
- recreation, and
- sports occupations
Workers with lower levels of education and limited levels of English or French language skills experienced worse effects than highly educated workers and those with fluent language skills. The following group were more affected than white adult men:
- women
- young individuals
- visible minorities-especially black individuals, and
- Indigenous peoples
Moreover, the following groups were significantly affected:
- very recent immigrants from:
- Asia
- Africa, and
- South America
- individuals with difficulty doing certain activities such as:
- physical, and
- learning disabilities
- residents of:
- Ontario, and
- Quebec
What it means
This study highlights the need for increased support for these vulnerable groups during the pandemic.
For women in particular, finding work can be less difficult with programs such as:
- extended paid maternity leave
- flexible work arrangements, and
- remote work
Investing in education and skills training programs can provide minority communities with more economic stability. Supports for caregivers and individuals with disabilities can improve accessibility to the labour market. This is particularly important during severe economic crises such as COVID-19.
Contact us
For access to the full report, please contact us using the email address below.
Skills and Employment Branch, Labour Market Information Directorate, Policy Research Analysis and Geomatics Division
Email: esdc.nc.sspb.research-recherche.dgpss.cn.edsc@esdc-edsc.gc.ca