Burnout is the new threat to Canada’s economy – especially for women

May 16, 2023 – Nine-in-ten Canadians feel that people are quitting the country’s workforce due to stress and burnout, according to the latest Canadian Household Perspectives survey conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights for The Prosperity Project. The sixth survey in this series of groundbreaking research reveals that, for most, the reasons cited are work-related – that is, feeling stressed, being underpaid, or not getting enough support. And, women are notably more likely to consider taking a step back from work.

More than three-quarters (77%) of women say they have considered quitting their jobs over work-related issues, compared to 66% of men.

“The immediate health threat from COVID-19 may have abated, but the economic threat is still very real,” said Julie Savard-Shaw, Executive Director of The Prosperity Project, a registered charity created to ensure Canadian women are not left behind in the COVID-19 recovery.

On behalf of The Prosperity Project, Pollara Strategic Insights conducted the online survey from April 3 to 11, 2023, among N=1,001 adult (18+) Canadians. This dataset mainly includes men and women who are currently working and some recent retirees that have retired since 2020 onwards. It also includes some who are unemployed or stay at home/care for family. The dataset is weighted as per the profile of these Canadians by age, gender within regions to be representative of the proportions of this population. Online surveys do not permit the application of a margin of error. However, as a guideline, a probability sample of N=1,001 carries a margin of error of ±3.1% nineteen times out of twenty.

A key theme in the 2023 survey was attitudes and perceptions around workplace advancement as the pandemic recovery progresses. Nearly six-in-ten employed Canadians (59%) are looking to change their job levels to a more senior role, with about three quarters (76%) being optimistic about this move. Men are notably more ambitious (64%) regarding the move to a senior role compared to women (55%) and are slightly more optimistic about it (78% of men versus 75% of women). Conversely, 7% of those employed – 9% of women and 5% of men – have taken or are considering taking a step back from their work. Women are more stressed about handling a senior role, while men are more concerned about getting paid enough for the amount of hours they put in.

“For women to accept a senior role, they need more flexible working options such as hours or location, they need to be valued as a team member and they need mentoring and affordable education and training options. Employers need to recognize and understand the stresses people are feeling, and adjust to keep our workforce robust,” Savard-Shaw said. “A practical work-home balance, particularly for women with added burdens such as childcare, is critical to both retention and advancement,” Savard-Shaw noted.

Other highlights from the poll:

Burnout

  • 90% of Canadians believe that burnout is prevalent in the Canadian work force. A third (32%) feel that many people are quitting their jobs due to burnout, 46% feel that this is happening occasionally, and 11% feel it is happening but rarely.
  • Notably, 71% of Canadians have at least considered quitting their jobs due to burnout or stress – 32% report actually quitting, while the remainder have at least thought of it. Women are more likely to say they quit their jobs because of stress or burnout than men (39% vs. 25%), and are also more likely to think of quitting their jobs at least occasionally than men (38% vs. 30%).
  • Most of the reasons for considering taking a step down are related to job stress (51%), not feeling appreciated for the amount of work they put it (42%) or not getting enough support at work (29%). Although the reasons are similar among men and women, women are more likely to experience work related stress than men (57% vs. 43%), are more likely to not feel appreciated at work (49% vs. 33%) and are more likely feel they don’t have enough support at work (35% vs. 22%).
  • Some decided to prioritize themselves (34%), with women more likely to take this step than men (37% vs. 28%). A majority see those who prioritize themselves over work as positive affirmative action (83%) and don’t see stepping down as a sign of weakness (72%). That said, men are more likely than women to see this as a sign of weakness (28% vs. 19%).
  • Working women find it more difficult to manage their households and work responsibility than working men (53% vs. 42%).
  • Childcare is a key concern. Mothers of kids under 13 years have considered quitting much more often than the fathers (80% vs. 63%) – among them, four-in-ten (41%) say they have left a job, compared to 24% of the fathers. Almost one-fifth of women specifically work hours that allow them to handle the childcare as well as work (17% vs. 6% of men). More than a third of working mothers (35%) say it is very difficult for them to arrange for childcare.

Compensation/Promotion

  • Women are more likely to feel that they are not being fairly compensated because of their gender (46%) than men (30%). They are also more likely to feel that their colleagues are not fairly compensated because of their gender (29% women vs. 18% men).
  • Employed BIPOC Canadians are much more likely to feel they are not fairly compensated (31%) and that their colleagues are not fairly compensated (28%) because of their racial identity compared to employed Caucasian Canadians (18% and 15% respectively). Similarly, 35% feel they have been passed over for a promotion or feel a colleague was passed over for a promotion (27%) because of their ethnicity compared to White Canadians (14% and 18% respectively).
  • While salary remains the most important factor to consider when moving to senior role for both men and women, there are a few subtle differences between other priorities: working women are more likely to want work flexibility in terms of hours and location (25% vs. 20% men), to be seen as a valuable member of the team (22% vs. 14% men) and to be able to take the allotted vacation time off (21% vs. 16%).

Visit The Prosperity Project website for more information and details emerging from this study, including the press release and the full Pollara report on the survey results.

Are Trudeau and Poilievre too woke, or not woke enough?

May 11, 2023 — A new survey by Pollara Strategic Insights explores Canadians’ familiarity and feelings with terms and concepts often associated with the culture war, which has been raging in recent years across the United States, and recently in Canada.

The term woke is often at the centre of this, with many conservative politicians using the word derisively. The three-in-four (75%) Canadians who have heard the term before are mixed towards it: 31% feel being woke is usually bad and 16% feel it is usually good, while the majority hold mixed opinions.

Only 25% of Canadians consider themselves woke, though this figure rises to 38% among younger women and 35% among younger men. The term is politically charged, with half (50%) of NDP voters and one-third (33%) of Liberal voters considering themselves woke, compared to 17% of Conservative voters. And while 63% of Conservative voters feel the Prime Minister is “too woke”, only 16% of Liberal voters feel this way.

While views on being woke are mixed, Canadians are generally positive towards Black Lives Matter, pride flags, feminism, and the #MeToo movement. They are largely negative towards defund the police and cancel culture.

 Feel this is “usually good”Feel this is “usually bad”
Black Lives Matter47%12%
Pride Flags49%15%
Feminism41%11%
#MeToo Movement41%13%
Allyship38%12%
Affirmative Action31%10%
Intersectionality21%18%
Political Correctness22%20%
Critical Race Theory19%24%
Woke16%31%
Gatekeepers6%29%
Virtue Signalling6%34%
Defund the Police10%51%
Cancel Cutlure5%47%

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study by the CBC

COVID: 3 Years Later

March 31, 2023 – About 3 years after the first COVID-19 lockdown began, Pollara Strategic Insights today released a new research report detailing Canadians’ views and experiences regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also includes public assessments of the government responsiveness during the pandemic and government preparedness for another, future pandemic.  

In terms of the health impact of COVID, more than half (55%) of adult Canadians report catching COVID-19 over the past 3 years – with 43% testing positive and 13% believing they have caught it (without confirming via test). Those who report catching COVID in the past 3 years are far more likely to say they have caught it once (68%) than multiple times (22%). And, half say their symptoms were mild while a quarter say their symptoms were severe.  

  • Notably, 1-in-10 (9%) of those who have caught COVID say they have been diagnosed with (3%), or believe they have (6%), Long COVID.
  • Two-thirds of Canadians still wear a face mask to protect themselves at least some of the time – just 34% say they never wear a mask

Turning to the relationship impacts of the pandemic, about one-in-five Canadians report having lost a family member or friend who died due to COVID. 7-in-10 feel Canada is more divided since the pandemic, and a quarter – or almost 10 million Canadians – have stopped talking to a friend or family member over COVID-related disagreements.  

When considering the job done by governments responding to the pandemic, 6-in-10 feel the federal government did a good job overall, and 7-in-10 feel the same about the job done procuring vaccines for Canadians.  

  • Less than half of the residents of Alberta (39%), Manitoba (41%), Saskatchewan (48%), and Ontario (49%) feel their provincial governments did a good job managing the pandemic, whereas clear majorities (62-82%) in the other provinces approve of the job done by their provincial governments.

Looking towards the future, three-quarters of Canadians believe there will be another pandemic in the next 20-30 years. However, only four-in-ten feel federal and provincial governments are currently prepared for it.  

Read our new report for more details.  Also, to see where public opinion stood at the start of the pandemic, see our first public opinion report on COVID, conducted in Late March 2020.  

Mental Health Research Canada, Poll 15: Improved stress, anxiety, and depression levels have levelled off

February 23, 2023 – Today, Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) released the results of the latest in-depth survey designed, executed, and analysed on their behalf by Pollara Strategic Insights. This is the 15th survey conducted for MHRC since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to monitor, track, and understanding Canadians’ mental health during this crisis and beyond.  

In our recent waves of research for MHRC, we saw mental health indicators improve. However, this new piece of research sees levels of high anxiety (10%), depression (8%), and not coping well with stress (14%) remain constant compared to our last data collection in November 2022. Future polls will validate whether this is indicative of a new normal for Canadians, or the result of transitional changes, such as a seasonal impacts or the state of the economy.   

The online survey was conducted from January 23 to February 6, 2023 amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=3,238 adult Canadians.  

The poll reveals some positive trends, such as high levels of happiness (81%) and hopefulness (64%) and a slight increase in the number of Canadians accessing mental health services in the past year. However, the poll also reveals a number of items of concern:     

  • A quarter of Canadians are feeling exhausted and burnt out (24%, and higher among the unemployed and students).
  • A disproportionate level of mental health challenges faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ Canadians, including self-rated anxiety, depression, and resilience indicators.
  • While half of Canadians indicate that inflation is not having a negative mental health impact on them, those whose mental health has been affected by inflation are showing significant signs of worsening mental health, in terms of higher anxiety (33%), depression (32%), difficulties handling stress (30%), suicide ideation (31%), and alcohol (23%) or cannabis (22%) dependency.
  • We’ve also noted increases in similar negative mental health indicators in parents of children under the age of nine.

For more detailed findings from this survey, please read the report.  In addition, in collaboration with Pollara, MHRC hosts an interactive, easily searchable Data Portal, which tracks the data captured in this series of surveys. MHRC has also released a series of research briefs that provide an in-depth investigation of specific issues and population cohorts in this survey series.  

Majority of Canadians conceptually support safe injection sites, although there is hesitancy about one opening near them

February 2, 2023 — New polling from Pollara Strategic Insights shows Canadians conceptually support safe injection sites, but are more hesitant about one potentially opening in their community. While 62% of Canadians feel that safe injection sites save lives and 51% support governments funding them, only 41% would support a safe injection site opening in their community.

Quebecers are the most supportive of governments funding safe injection sites (58%), and are the most open to one opening in their community (53%). 

There is a partisan skew on this issue, with around two-thirds of Liberal, NDP and Bloc voters supportive of safe injection sites, compared to one-third of Conservative and PPC voters.

See the full findings and survey methodology in our report, and additional analysis and commentary by Paul Wells at his Substack.

Canadians rank the Greatest Prime Minister in Canadian History

January 23, 2023 — Pollara Strategic Insights’ poll of Canadians shows no consensus on who Canada’s Greatest Prime Minister was, though Pierre Trudeau (11%) and Stephen Harper (10%) picked up the most votes.

Both Trudeau and Harper are polarizing figures, as Trudeau was the choice of 23% of Liberal voters but few Conservatives, and Harper was the choice for 26% of Conservatives but hardly anyone else.

Trudeau and Harper are followed on the list by John A. Macdonald (6%), Brian Mulroney (6%), Jean Chretien (5%), Lester B. Pearson (5%), and Justin Trudeau (5%). Meanwhile, long-serving PMs like Wilfrid Laurier (3%) and Mackenzie King (2%) who predated most Canadians alive today were largely overlooked.

Regionally, Pierre Trudeau topped the list in most provinces, with Harper in front in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and Mulroney chosen most by Quebecers.

See the full details in our report.

Economic Outlook 2023: Most pessimistic economic outlook by Canadians in 14 years

January 11, 2023 — Pollara’s annual Economic Outlook study finds the public the most pessimistic about the Canadian economy and their personal finances they have been since the 2008 financial crisis. On many questions, we see levels of negativity only reached a few times over the 28 years this study has been fielded.

As we head into 2023, over eight-in-ten (83%) Canadians feel the country is in a recession, a 17-point increase from last year, and the highest level recorded since 2009.

This pessimism can also be seen when people look at their personal finances. The percentage of Canadians who feel they are “losing ground” financially has jumped from 25% last year to 38% this year. The biggest cost of living expenses driving this are the cost of food (46% say it’s a major source of stress), housing expenses (34%), and the cost of gas (30%).

Amidst these cost of living pressures, when looking ahead to 2023, half (50%) of Canadians expect their household income will fall behind the cost of living – a high only reached once during the 28 years of Pollara’s Economic Outlook study.

The public’s one ray of hope for 2023 is Canada’s job market, which ended the year with low unemployment levels. Only two-in-ten (20%) Canadians feel it is likely they or a family member will lose their job this year, the lowest level recorded since 2008.

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study in the Toronto Star.

SocialScape 2022: Canada’s definitive measurement of social media, messaging, and videoconferencing platform usage

December 21, 2022 – Today, Pollara Strategic Insights released an updated report for the 5th edition of SocialScape – Canada’s definitive measurement of social media, messaging, and videoconferencing platform usage patterns.   Although SocialScape 2022 was released two months ago, recent anecdotal reports of Twitter account cancellations occurring in the wake of Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter prompted us to conduct a short follow-up survey in order to update Twitter membership and usage data in the report. Ultimately, we found no evidence of a significant post-Musk exodus of members, as recent anecdotes may suggest, but reading and posting activity amongst members has reduced noticeably from August to December 2022.   Some of the key findings in SocialScape 2022 include:  

  • 90% of Canadians are social media users.
  • Facebook and Instagram continue to be the top social media platforms used in Canada. Notably, newer platforms, like TikTok and Discord,have quickly entered the top 10 social media platforms in Canada.
  • Many platforms have somewhat lower membership figures in 2022 compared to 2019, with the exception of Instagram and Reddit. Although Twitter recorded a steady, gradual increase in membership from 2016 to 2019, membership numbers declined notably by August 2022 – and continued to do so following Elon Musk’s purchase and assumption of the CEO position. However, as mentioned above, there is no evidence of a significant post-Musk exodus of members.
  • As in 2019, social media users spend 6 hours per week on social media, on average – with browsing far more prevalent than posting content.  
  • Social media continues to be a tool that helps people stay connected with family and friends. However, it is also considered a medium that allows the spread of conspiracy theories and fake news and fosters hate and violence. And, privacy concerns remain high, with few trusting social media to keep their personal information private.
  • Turning to messaging platforms, 94% of Canadians use at least one. Three-quarters use basic SMS or MMS texting or (Facebook) Messenger – by far the most-used messaging platforms. iMessage and WhatsApp are used by two- fifths. While these four platforms see an uptick in usage, other older platforms such as Skype, Android Messages, and Google Chat see a significant drop in usage.
  • And, turning to our new entry in SocialScape, 82% of Canadians use at least one video conferencing platform.  Zoom is – by far – the most widely-used platform, followed by Facetime and Microsoft Teams.

For more details and insights, please read the SocialScape 2022 report

Rage Index reaches new high, with public angry about inflation and provincial governments

December 19, 2022 — Just in time for the festive season, Pollara Strategic Insights today released the fourth edition of our Rage Index, with the level of overall rage and anger reaching a new high.

Despite Canadians expressing a high level of happiness about the holidays, they are also feeling angry about inflation and new, controversial plans by provincial governments in Alberta and Ontario. Despite falling gas prices, Canadians are angrier about inflation today than they were during the summer. This may be a partially responsible for the overall Rage Index score hitting a new high this month, rising from October’s high of 15% to 18% this month.

Within the provinces, a majority of Ontarians have express negative emotions about Premier Ford’s plan to rezone parts of the Greenbelt (62%), and the majority of Albertans have negative feelings about Premier Smith’s Sovereignty Act (52%).

Looking more broadly, Canadians are three times more likely to be angry (32%) than happy (11%) about Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk buying Twitter. Of course, most Canadians are ambivalent about this development – a good reminder that Twitter is not real life.

Despite all of these sources of anger, Canadians can still smile when they look ahead to the holidays.  A majority (55%) are happy or pleased about the festive season, whereas just 12% are annoyed or angry. 

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study in the Toronto Star.  

Pollara Shows How Canada Has Changed Over Past 30 Years

December 15, 2022 — Pollara Strategic Insights’ new report, “30 Years of Perspective”, revisits polling questions we first asked in 1992, to show how Canadians’ priorities and feelings have evolved over the past 30 years.

On many topics, we see dramatic shifts. With our population aging, “healthcare” and the “Canada Pension Plan” were identified as the two areas where Canadians most want to see government spend more money today. This is a significant change from 1992, when neither of these issues cracked the top 5 spending priorities. Then, high unemployment rates pushed “job creation programs” and “incentives for businesses to create jobs” to the top of the list.

Priorities for
Additional Spending
1992
Priorities for
Additional Spending
2022
Job creation programs
(spend more 74% / spend less 9%)
Health care
(spend more 74% / spend less 3%)
Incentives for businesses to create jobs
(72% / 10%)
Canada Pension Plan
(53% / 4%)
Environmental protection
(67% / 6%)
Environmental protection
(46% / 14%)
Post-secondary education (63% / 7%)Research & Development
(31% / 10%)
Research & Development
(60% / 9%)
Small business assistance
(31% / 11%)

Despite recent rhetoric about declining trust in the performance of government institutions, Canadians actually feel better about the federal government today than they did in 1992. Perhaps this is not surprising given the unpopularity of Prime Minister Mulroney in 1992, but we find that Canadians now feel better about all three levels of government, and the federal civil service. Context is everything on this question. In 1992, governments were in the midst of an extended period of constitutional bickering. More recently, Canadians saw governments spring into action and make a real difference in their lives during COVID.

The two organizations taking the largest reputational hits over the last 30 years are airlines (favourables down from 41% to 21%) and grocery chains (favourables down from 68% to 45%). However, Canadians now feel better about labour unions (favourables up from 18% to 38%) and teacher federations (favourables up from 30% to 42%).

In other areas, the consistency of public opinion is surprising: Canadians are nearly as trusting of the media today as they were in an era before Substack and Twitter, when newspapers and the evening newscast was king. This may be a surprising result given today’s widespread chatter about distrust in mainstream media, but there is a difference in who trusts the media now compared to 30 years ago. While younger Canadians trusted the media more in 1992, today it is older Canadians who trust them more.

To continue down this memory lane, you can read full report details here.

Pollara’s Rage Index shows few Canadians angry about vaccine mandates

September 30, 2022 —Pollara Strategic Insights’ second edition of the Rage Index shows Canadians’ mood improving after a summer of frustration, with the percentage of Canadians annoyed or angry across our tracking questions down 5 points this month.

One topic at the centre of high profile outbursts of rage over the past year is vaccine mandates. However, this poll shows only 23% of Canadians are annoyed or angry by the mandates – while nearly twice as many (43%) are pleased or happy with them. However, the mandates are a highly politicized issue, with three-in-ten Conservative voters and over seven-in-ten PPC voters very angry about them:

While the mandates themselves are not a source of widespread anger, they may be leading to increased frustration among Canada’s unvaccinated. This edition of the Rage Index finds that unvaccinated Canadians are significantly angrier about nearly all topics polled, with the majority of them annoyed or angry about the federal government (71%), provincial government (64%), Canadian economy (68%), personal financial situation (52%), and the types of changes happening in Canada (63%).

One topic generating significantly more widespread anger this month than vaccine mandates is the firing of Lisa LaFlamme. This news story has struck a nerve among women over 50, with 36% of them very angry and another 29% annoyed or moderately angry. Strikingly, this is as big a source of anger for women over 50 as inflation or delays in the healthcare system.

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study in the Toronto Star. You can read last month’s Rage Index here.

Telecoms top the list of companies that make Canadians angry

September 29, 2022 – Pollara’s 2022 Canadian Telecom Sentiment Report shows a majority (59%) of Canadians are annoyed or angry about telecom companies, ranking ahead of insurance companies (51%), airlines (45%), real estate companies (41%), banks (41%), and grocery stores (40%).

Price is driving much of this negativity, as two-thirds (66%) of Canadians say their cell phone bill would be “unaffordable” if it rose by 10%. Moreover, telecom bills trail only groceries and gas as the cost of living bills that make Canadians angriest:

When asked about other Telecom irritants, the majority of Canadians report being annoyed or angry at companies who try to upsell them (63%), hidden fees (59%), and locking phones to networks (57%). Close to half are also upset about fees for going over their data limit (49%), their monthly bill (48%), and roaming charges (48%).

These findings come from the 2022 Canadian Telecom Sentiment Report, conducted by Pollara on behalf of Globalive. The survey was fielded online between September 2nd and 12th, 2022, among 3,105 Canadians 18 years and older. A probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of ± 1.8%, 19 times out of 20.

For a detailed summary of the findings from this survey, please see our report . For Globalive’s commentary on the survey, you can read their press release.

IFIC and Pollara Release 2022 Canadian Mutual Fund and ETF Investor Survey

October 3, 2022 (Toronto) – The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and Pollara Strategic Insights today released the results of their annual Canadian Mutual Fund and Exchange-Traded Fund Investor Survey. The annual survey has tracked Canadian investor sentiments and behaviour since 2006.

The survey this year expanded its focus on the value of advice and investor responses to annual fee and performance statements and added a component investigating the impact of inflation on saving and investment. The survey also had additional questions relating to responsible investing, including perceived impact on returns, sources of information, and interests in specific focus areas.

“The Pollara investor survey has become an increasingly valuable tool to test regulatory assumptions about the value of advice and to better understand how investors view advice,” said Paul Bourque, President and CEO, IFIC. “We are particularly pleased to see that the vast majority of investors feel that the advice they receive is worth the fees, and that investors feel more confident about reaching their investment goals when using a financial advisor.”

“This survey gives us the opportunity to learn about how investors respond to the ever-evolving economic environment,” said Lesli Martin, Vice President, Pollara Strategic Insights. “In a year of rising inflation, it was particularly interesting to learn more about how investors have reacted and responded.”

This year, the survey moved to an online-only format. The samples for the 2022 survey were 4,045 MF investors and 1,503 ETF investors.

Key Findings:

  • For mutual fund investors, confidence their product will help them achieve financial goals is at 88%, and for ETF investors, confidence is at 91%.
  • Nine in ten mutual fund and ETF investors are satisfied with their advisors.
  • Eight in 10 mutual fund investors agree that advice is worth the fees and they would not want to handle investments on their own, an increase by two and three points respectively.  Seven in 10 ETF investors would not want to handle investments on their own, an increase by seven points.
  • 80% of mutual fund investors and 73% of ETF investors believe that they get a better return on investments due to their financial advisor.
  • 84% of mutual fund and 78% of ETF investors feel more confident that they will reach their investment goals when using a financial advisor.
  • Two-thirds of investors remember receiving their annual fee and performance (CRM2) statements, and 56% of mutual fund investors and 63% of ETF investors report reading their statements.
  • 25% of investors currently own responsible investments, and a majority who do not currently own responsible investments report they may include these investments in their portfolio in the future.
  • Inflation has had an impact on investing with half of investors saying they are investing less than usual

To access the full survey, please visit IFIC.ca or pollara.com.

About IFIC

The Investment Funds Institute of Canada is the voice of Canada’s investment funds industry. IFIC brings together approximately 150 organizations, including fund managers, dealers, professional and back-office service providers, to strengthen the integrity of the investment funds industry, foster public confidence in investment funds, and enable investors to achieve good outcomes. By connecting savers to Canada’s economy, our industry contributes significantly to Canadian economic growth and job creation. To learn more about IFIC, please visit www.ific.ca

About Pollara Strategic Insights

Founded in 1980, Pollara Strategic Insights is one of Canada’s premier full-service research firms – a collaborative team of senior research veterans who are passionate about conducting research through hands–on creativity and customized solutions. Taking full advantage of their comprehensive toolbox of industry-leading quantitative and qualitative methodologies and analytical techniques, Pollara provides research-based strategic advice to a wide array of clients across all sectors on a local, national, and global scale.

For more information, please contact:

Pira Kumarasamy
Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs
pkumarasamy@ific.ca
416-309-2317

Lesli Martin
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
Pollara Strategic Insights
leslimartin@pollara.com
416-707-9770

In wake of Charles III being proclaimed Canada’s new King, more Canadians oppose than support remaining a constitutional monarchy

HM King Charles III

September 13, 2022 — Fresh polling by Pollara Strategic Insights fielded in the days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II shows only 35% of Canadians want Canada to remain a constitutional monarchy, with 44% wanting to end this connection to the British Crown.

Quebecers are the most opposed to remaining a constitutional monarchy (18% yes / 64% no), and a sharp age divide can be seen across the country with support for keeping the monarchy over twice as high among Canadians 55+ (47% yes / 35% no) as among Canadians 18-to-34 (22% yes / 54% no).

While there is not consensus on this question, the majority of Canadians (56%) are against Canada putting Charles III’s face on its money, with only one-in-four (24%) supportive.

This is not necessarily indicative of intense negativity towards the new King, as Canadians are divided on how they feel about Charles III: 37% are favourable and 33% are unfavourable. Though Canadians are divided on Charles, they are largely favourable towards his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry:

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study in the Toronto Star.

Canadians view Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as risky investments that cannot help people to opt-out of inflation

September 7, 2022 – Today, Pollara Strategic Insights released a new study focussed on Canadians’ engagement, understanding, and views on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.  

Nearly all Canadians have heard about Bitcoin, but it remains a mystery to most, as only one-in-four (26%) Canadians report ownership and/or sufficient familiarity that they could explain it to someone else.

Less than one-in-ten (8%) Canadians report ownership of Bitcoin and/or other cryptocurrencies, with ownership overwhelmingly concentrated among young men.  Politically speaking, PPC and Conservative Voters are more likely to report ownership and interest in investing in Bitcoin and/or other cryptocurrencies.     

Amongst those who own Bitcoin or have some understanding of it, almost nine-in-ten (88%) view it as a risky investment and more than three-quarters (77%) report that it has declined in value.

Amongst those who own Bitcoin or have some understanding of it, only one-in-ten (11%) think it is a good way to opt out of inflation, and half (48%) feel that most people who recommend investing in Bitcoin are scam artists.  PPC Voters and young men are the most likely to feel that moving investments into Bitcoin are a good way to opt out of inflation.   

For more detailed results, read our report

Majority of Albertans oppose goals and methods of “Freedom Convoy”

August 31, 2022 – Common Ground, a research project at the University of Alberta, today released the results of a survey conducted in partnership with Pollara Strategic Insights about the Freedom Convoy occupations that occurred earlier this year.

The survey of adult Albertans found that:

  • The majority (61%) of Albertans opposed the objectives of Freedom Convoy.
  • Even more (67%) Albertans opposed the methods used by the convoy protestors. Only a third of Albertans (33%) supported the methods the convoy used, such as occupying Ottawa and blocking the border.
  • While Freedom Convoy protesters made loud displays with their protests, they were a disproportionately vocal minority. Only one-in-five showed support for the convoy, by speaking out (20%), participating in a protest in solidarity (4%), flying a flag (4%), or donating money (2%).

Support for the convoy is split among demographic and ideological lines:

  • There is a stark partisan divide. A majority of United Conservative Party (UCP) supporters supported the objectives of the convoy (56%), compared to just 14% of Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) supporters.
  • Support for the convoy’s objectives was lowest in Edmonton (30%) and highest in both Red Deer (53%) and areas outside the Calgary-Edmonton corridor (53%).
  • Older Albertans were more likely to oppose the convoy’s objectives. 70% of Albertans aged 65 and up opposed the convoy’s goals, compared to 59% of those under 65.

These are selected results from an online survey of 2,224 Albertans conducted from April 8 to May 9, 2022 by Pollara Strategic Insights in partnership with Common Ground at the University of Alberta. All results are weighted by age, gender, ethnicity, and region.

For more findings from our survey, see the full research brief.

The Rage Index, Looking at the mood of Canadians

August 29, 2022 —Pollara Strategic Insights has launched the Rage Index, a new monthly tracker measuring the mood of Canadians regarding their governments, the economy, and current events. The inaugural Rage Index shows a country that is grumpy – but where intense rage is limited to a vocal minority.

Across the six questions forming the Rage Index, an average of 49% of Canadians report being annoyed or angry – but this includes just 14% who are very angry. Frustration about the type of changes happening in Canada and the latest stories in the news is especially widespread.

When asked about specific news stories, inflation, gas prices, and the trucker convoy are flashpoints of anger, with the majority also annoyed or angry about airport delays and the housing market.

The Rage Index also identifies which groups are most angry. At the moment, anger is highest among residents in the Prairie provinces, middle aged Canadians, lower income earners, and those born in Canada. Men and women score comparably on the Rage Index, as men are more angry about governments and women are more angry about economic issues.

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study in the Toronto Star.

Hospital reputations drop significantly in 2022

August 26, 2022 – The improved impression ratings which Canadians gave to their primary hospital in 2020 – largely out of gratitude and good will during the height of the pandemic – were short-lived, as we now see impression scores dropping significantly in the 2022 iteration of Pollara’s regular sounding on hospital reputation

With the backlogs faced by many hospitals across Canada, it is not surprising that only a small majority (52%; -9 pts) of Canadians now hold positive overall perceptions of their main community hospital. Mean average scores have dropped across all provinces, with the exception of Saskatchewan.

Positive perceptions of quality of care have also declined significantly, with half (53%) giving a positive score – falling below 2020 (-9) and 2019 (-8) levels. That said, the decline is mainly attributed to more respondents feeling neutral or unsure, rather than feeling negatively about the quality of care. Positive scores drop across all provinces, with the exception of Quebec and Saskatchewan. BC, Manitoba, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada see the highest decline in scores compared to 2020.

Although a majority of Canadians in 2020 held a positive impression of the way their primary hospital has managed and responded to COVID-19, fewer than half (48%; -11pts) now hold a positive opinion on COVID management in 2022 – likely related to public frustration with increased wait times, reduced access, and related backlogs. Positive perceptions have declined across all provinces, with the biggest drops occurring in the Atlantic provinces, Ontario, and Manitoba.

For the full detailed results, please see our report.

The Inflation Blame Game

August 22, 2022 — Fresh polling by Pollara Strategic Insights shows Canadians are feeling increased pressure from inflation, with few expecting it to ease any time soon.

While many indicators and experts suggest inflation may have peaked, two-in-three (67%) Canadians expect inflation to increase over the next few months, and a similar percentage (66%) expect the current period of high inflation to last at least another year.

Just 16% of Canadian workers say their wages are keeping up with inflation. This is true amongst all types of workers, though gig workers (31%) are coping a bit better than white collar (15%), blue collar (21%), or the service sector (19%).

Even though Canadians of all political stripes are feeling the impact of inflation, who they blame is deeply wrapped up in partisanship. Conservative voters are over twice as likely to blame the federal government for inflation than COVID or supply chain breakdowns, while Liberal voters largely point the finger at external factors.

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study in the Toronto Star.

Also, click here to read more about Pollara’s syndicated study on inflation, Inflation Pressure Points. This quarterly study tracks how opinions around inflation are evolving and the implications for investors, businesses, and governments. Subscribing clients can include custom questions. E-mail us to find out more.

Almost half of employed Canadian women likely to quit job if asked to return to office full-time 

June 15, 2022 – The Prosperity Project released the results of a new Pollara Strategic Insights survey today, with fascinating findings for employers to pay heed to. This – the 5th survey in The Prosperity Project – Pollara series of Canadian Household Perspectives surveys – surveyed employed women to understand their views and preferences for their working situations as society continues to re-open.

Fewer Canadian women (62%) are working full-time now as compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic (70%). While three-quarters (73%) acknowledged that employers were more accommodating during the pandemic, a similar proportion (72%) expect employers to put the priority on in-person office work going forward. However, the vast majority of women (91%) would prefer to work remotely most or part of the time in the foreseeable future.

  • Nearly six-in-ten feel they will have to choose between their career and their family – at a time when almost half (46%) said the pandemic has increased their responsibilities at home.
  • More than six-in-ten (63%) said they would turn down promotions in order to keep working from home.
  • Most alarmingly, almost half (45%) are more likely to quit their jobs if working from home at least part of the time is not an option.

“As organizations create post-pandemic work strategies, this research sheds light on what women are thinking and feeling about work and their careers. A majority would like the flexibility offered during the pandemic to continue, specifically the option to work remotely some of the time,” said Andrea Spender, CEO of The Prosperity Project, a registered charity created to ensure Canadian women are not left behind in the COVID-19 recovery.

The research also highlighted mixed views on the impact of the pandemic, with a third (35%) of working women saying their careers are in a better place now, compared to 29% who said they are worse off than two years ago and 36% saying their career condition had not changed.  Opinions were also mixed on what the end of the pandemic could mean for career prospects, with three-in-ten (29%) optimistic that there will be more opportunities ahead and a quarter (24%) believing there will be fewer opportunities. However, the research shows many Canadian women are concerned that the better paying and higher level jobs are more likely to be offered to men than to themselves. 

A plurality (44%) of women are excited about their career prospects, while one-third (33%) are not.

“We learned important lessons about workplace flexibility during the pandemic, and we must continue to heed those lessons,” said Pamela Jeffery, founder of The Prosperity Project. “Canada’s economic growth needs women contributing. Enabling women to balance their careers and home responsibilities – through hybrid home/office work and other adjustments, with equal opportunity for promotion and advancement – is a critical priority.”

Other highlights from the study:

  • Working from Home:  All of the women surveyed were working full-time in January 2019. During the pandemic, almost half (46%) went from working outside the home to working from home. Of those who started working remotely, 71% continue to work from home at least part of the time, with 28% returning to work in-person at the office most or all of the time. 
  • Return to In-Person Office Work: – Half of the respondents believe they will be returning to working in the office, either with a hybrid model (31%) or in the office full-time (2%), while 8% said their employer no longer has an office, and 17% believe they will have a choice of where they will work. Approximately half of the women surveyed (51%) are fine with their organization’s plan regarding going back to the office. A fifth (19%) said it is not exactly what they want, but they aren’t concerned about it, and 18% are concerned about how they will make it work.
  • Home/Office Preferences:  The vast majority (91%) of women surveyed want to work remotely at least part of the time. Almost three-quarters (73%) of women would prefer to work from home all (42%) or most (31%) of the time. One-fifth (22%) would rather spend all (9%) or most (13%) of their work time in the office.
  • Advancement:  In terms of career advancement, 28% of working women are considering but not actively looking to advance, 22% are actively looking, and 19% said they could be open to advancement if the right opportunity came along. Racialized women are more likely to be actively looking to advance their careers (31%).
  • Barriers:  For half (52%) of the working women with kids under 18, balancing their career with being a good parent is the major barrier. Only a sixth (16%) said it is not a barrier at all. Work-life balance is cited as a barrier for almost two-thirds (64%) of the women surveyed.
  • Childcare – Those working from home during the pandemic and having kids under 12 are somewhat (37%) to very (24%) concerned about going back to work in-person. Younger women are most likely to be concerned about going back into the office. More than half of the women surveyed (55%) are primarily responsible for child care. Only 7% said their partner/spouse are responsible and over a third (35%) share the responsibilities equally.
  • Finances:  Views on women’s financial situations were almost evenly split: A third (33%) said they are in a better place in terms of their finances, with almost an equal number (37%) saying they are in a worse place, and 30% reporting no change in their finances. Younger women are likely to be in a better place with their finances (46% amongst those aged 18-34, 30% for 35-54, and 20% for 55+).

“This research tells us some changes brought about by the pandemic were actually improvements for working women, but there’s still uncertainty about whether they’re permanent,” said Pollara Senior Vice-President Lesli Martin. “Amid this uncertainty, many Canadian working women are understandably apprehensive about their future.”

These are some of the findings of The Prosperity Project’s 5th Canadian Household Perspectives survey, conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights from May 12 to May 17, 2022. The online survey interviewed a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=800 employed adult women across Canada. As a guideline, a probability sample of N=800 carries a margin of error of ± 3.5, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error is larger for sub-segments. The dataset was weighted by the most current age and region Census data, to ensure the sample reflects the actual population of women in Canada.

The survey is part of The Prosperity Project’s Canadian Households’ Perspective on the New Economy initiative. Partner organizations in the initiative are CIBC, Enterprise Canada, and Pollara Strategic Insights. Launched in May 2020, The Prosperity Project is a volunteer-driven, registered charity conceived by a diverse group of 62 female leaders from across the country – women who have historically made a difference and are committed to continuing to promote positive change as active participants in The Prosperity Project. 

Please visit The Prosperity Project website for more information about this study or the organization itself.   

Canadians want Facebook & Google to share news content revenue with Canadian media outlet sources

Googling

May 30, 2022 – A new Pollara Strategic Insights study, conducted on behalf of News Media Canada, shows eight-in-ten (79%) Canadians believe web giants like Facebook and Google should have to share revenue they generate from Canadian news content with the Canadian media outlets that produce these copyrighted stories. The proportion who strongly supportive (42%) of this outnumber the strongly opposed (4%) by a 10:1 ratio.

This survey also found that nine-in-ten (90%) Canadians believe it’s important that local media outlets survive, and eight-in-ten (80%) support Parliament passing a law that would let smaller outlets negotiate collectively with the web giants.  

Notably, this is a topic that has broad cross-partisan support with the supporters of all parties placing a high level of important on the survival of local media outlets, and supportive of forcing web giants to share their revenue with Canadian media outlets.

Federal Voting IntentionImportant that local media outlets surviveWeb giants should have to share revenue with Canadian media outletsParliament should pass a law that would let smaller outlets negotiate collectively with the web giants
Liberal96%86%88%
CPC86%71%74%
NDP94%83%84%
Bloc92%97%94%
Green97%81%88%
PPC65%61%65%
Undecided89%73%73%

These are some of the findings arising from a survey conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights, on behalf of News Media Canada. Pollara conducted an online survey of N=1,500 adult Canadians between May 20to May 26, 2022. Data has been weighted by gender, age, and region statistics, based on the most recent census data, so as to be representative of all Canadians. Online surveys cannot be officially assigned a margin of error, but a probability sample of this size is accurate within ± 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.  

For more information, please see the News Media Canada release and the Interview Schedule.

Eight-in-ten Ontarians feel the province’s doctor shortage is a serious problem

May 30, 2022 – A new survey conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights on behalf of the Ontario College of Family Physicians reveals that – when informed that 1.3 million residents of the province do not have a family doctor – eight-in-ten Ontarians (80%) feel that this is either a crisis for Ontario’s health care system (34%) or a major problem (46%).  

Moreover, nine-in-ten Ontarians want the provincial government to ensure that every Ontarian that needs a family doctor has access to one, regardless of who wins the Ontario provincial election.  

These are some of the results of an online survey conducted from May 16-18, 2022 on behalf of the Ontario College of Family Physicians. The survey was conducted amongst a reliable, randomly-selected sample of N=816 adult Ontarians. Online surveys do not permit the assignment of a margin of error, but a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-3.4%, 19 times out of 20.  

For more details and commentary, please view our report and the opinion editorial from the President of the Ontario College of Family Physicians.

Canadians report lowest levels of anxiety and depression since April 2021

MHRC

May 24, 2022 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) has released its 12th poll in its ongoing series of surveys on Canadians’ mental health since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey, conducted from April 13-25, 2022 amongst N=3,000 adult Canadians, represents a period when COVID-19 restrictions in Canada had substantially eased and some public health measures were removed.

The study found that the mental health of Canadians slowly continues to improve. The percentage of Canadians experiencing high levels of self-rated anxiety has dropped from 24% in December 2021 to 21% in April 2022. These are the lowest levels seen in the self-rated scale and clinical screeners in depression and anxiety since April 2021. Fewer Canadians are experiencing disruptions caused by mental health challenges. Recovery to mental health levels seen prior to the pandemic remains a distant hope. 

Concern around the lasting impact of COVID-19 continues and has seen a slight increase in this poll. Fear of a family member catching the virus has also increased. A majority of Canadians also support COVID-19 health measures, particularly those experiencing high levels of self-rated anxiety.

Other key findings include:  

  • Mental health literacy — measured by how often mental health is thought about, discussed, or read about — in Canadians is low. Canadians over the age of 55 are demonstrating the lowest mental health literacy while students are demonstrating the highest.
  • New mothers are experiencing higher than average levels of anxiety. About 31% of mothers with children aged between 0 and 1 have high anxiety, as compared to the 21% of the general population with high anxiety. Optimistically, the findings show that new mothers are very hopeful, have good relationships with others, and are more likely to talk to a mental health professional.
  • About a quarter (27%) of working Canadians are experiencing burnout. This is even higher among those who are currently looking for work (36%) and low among retirees (9%).
  • One-fifth of Canadians have accessed mental health support since the start of the pandemic. There was a considerable decline in Canadians’ satisfaction with accessing mental health support since December 2021. Now, levels are back to those seen in November 2021 (69% are satisfied).
  • Despite the issues they are facing,most Canadians continue to be hopeful for their future. They feel their relationships are valued and allow them to get help when they need it.  

These and other key findings are featured in both the summary report and full survey report – as well as an interactive, searchable data portal – are available at www.mhrc.ca. The online survey was conducted amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=3,000 adult Canadians from April 13-25, 2022, as part of MHRC’s ongoing series of surveys – “Mental Health in Crisis: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Canadians” – designed to capture Canadians’ perceptions of their levels of anxiety and depression to identify and evaluate factors that influence mental health.

Canadians support mandatory labelling and government-led safety assessments of GMO foods

April 28, 2022 – A new Pollara Strategic Insights study, conducted on behalf of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), reveals that most Canadians support mandatory labelling on genetically modified foods and food products with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and that the public opposes by a margin of nearly 2 to 1 a proposal to let food companies conduct their own safety assessments of genetically modified foods produced through gene editing.  

The study found that almost half (47%) of Canadians felt knowledgeable about GMOs prior to participating in the survey. However, only 6% felt very knowledgeable, whereas four-in-ten (41%) felt somewhat knowledgeable.

Similarly, just over half (54%) of Canadians expressed concern about the safety of genetically modified foods and food products that contain GMOs, although this concern is more likely to be moderate (37%) than intense (17%). 

After being presented with arguments for and against the labelling of genetically modified foods (i.e. “let consumers make informed decisions” vs. “labels might make unknowledgeable consumers assume the foods are unsafe”), more than two-thirds of Canadians (68%) expressed support for the federal government making it mandatory for food companies to label if their foods are genetically modified or contain GMOs. Just 7% were opposed, as 18% were ambivalent and 6% were unsure.

After informing respondents of the Health Canada proposal to allow food companies to assess the safety of some genetically foods produced through gene editing – a process whereby plant genes are deleted or changed, but no foreign DNA is introduced – almost half (46%) of Canadians expressed opposition, preferring that Health Canada conduct these safety assessments. Comparatively, a quarter (24%) supported the Health Canada proposal.  Two-in-ten were ambivalent (19%) and 11% were unsure. 

These are the findings of a public opinion research study conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights on behalf of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) from April 21-24, 2022. Pollara Strategic Insights conducted an online survey amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=1,517 adult Canadians. Online surveys do not permit the assignment of a margin of error. A probability sample of this size and design would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.5, 19 times out of 20. The dataset has been weighted using standard statistical techniques to ensure that the sample accurately reflects the gender, age, and provincial distribution of the adult Canadian population according to the most recent Census.

For more information, please see the CBAN media release and the data tables.

Municipal Satisfaction 2022: Canadians’ satisfaction with municipal governments drops after seeing increases in first year of pandemic 

Municipal Satisfaction

April 27, 2021 — Our ongoing municipal satisfaction tracking survey reveals that Canadians’ overall satisfaction with local municipal governments has dropped by a significant 15 points in 2022 (55%) compared to 2020 (70%). One-in- three (36%) are dissatisfied.

Six-in-ten (60%) residents are satisfied with the quality of services provided by their local municipal government – significantly lower than seen in 2020 (71%), but a return to similar territory as in 2019 (66%).

Two-thirds (62%) of Canadians are satisfied with the range of services provided by their local municipal government, although this represents a notable decline since 2020 (-11).

Although a majority of Canadians remain satisfied (57%) with how their local municipal government has managed and responded to COVID-19, satisfaction has declined notably compared to September 2020 (71%). For more details, including provincial/regional results, please see our report.  

Canadians see increased wireless competition paving road to lower cellphone bills

April 25, 2022 – A new Pollara Strategic Insights survey exploring Canadians’ sentiments on the current state of the national telecommunications industry has found that eight-in-ten (81%) Canadians believe that true wireless competition among cellphone providers would lead to lower prices for Canadians.  

Over half (52%) of Canadians reported they were more stressed than usual about their cellphone bill because of inflation. When asked about the biggest issues that they have with the telecommunications market, Canadians continued to cite high prices compared to other countries (87%) and the lack of competition in the market (73%).  

These are some of the results of a survey Pollara conducted on behalf of Globalive Capital.  From April 14 – 20, 2022, Pollara conducted an online survey amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=3,050 adult Canadians. The data is weighted by gender, age, and region using standard statistical techniques in order to ensure the sample accurately reflects the adult Canadian population according to the latest national census.  

When asked about the pending sale of Freedom Mobile, two-thirds of Canadians (67%) stated that it is important that Freedom Mobile be sold to an independent carrier in order to promote increased competition. Of the most important factors that must accompany the sale of the company, a commitment to low prices by the potential buyer was the top priority for almost nine-in-ten (87%) Canadians, with the use of 5G technology also an important commitment for 62%.  

Of other top priorities that Canadians have for the buyer of Freedom Mobile, reliable coverage (86%), good customer service (85%), and expanding coverage areas (82%) are all commitments that at least eight-in-ten Canadians also expect to be made.    

For more information, please see the Globalive Capital media release or refer to their media contact in the release.

Although COVID concerns reach lowest levels, majority remain concerned and levels of anxiety and depression are unchanged.

March 10, 2022 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) has released its 11th poll in its ongoing series of surveys on Canadians’ mental health since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey, conducted from February 15-22, 2022, represents a period where the impacts of the Omicron variant had begun to diminish, and the majority of eligible Canadians had received their COVID-19 vaccine booster. Nevertheless, although this recent study found that public concern about COVID-19 had reached its lowest levels, six-in-ten remain concerned and the levels of high anxiety and depression are unchanged.

“While we are emerging from this pandemic, we are in uncharted territory and Canadians’ mental health will need addressing for some time to come. Determining who and how many individuals will require interventions so they can recover, is a critical element of determining the successful path forward”, says Akela Peoples, CEO of Mental Health Research Canada.

Key findings include:  

  • Anxiety levels have not significantly changed since December 2021, indicating that the Omicron variant and related lockdowns had only a marginal impact on mental health. However, self-rated anxiety and depression levels remain higher than the beginning of the pandemic with 23% of Canadians indicating high anxiety and 15% indicating high depression.
  • Concern around the continued threat of COVID-19 is at an all-time low, although still six-in-ten (59%) Canadians express concern. In contrast, those still struggling with anxiety or depression are in worse shape:  Many (45%) of those who are indicating high self-rated levels of anxiety and depression are also showing symptoms of moderate to severe psychological distress  on the Kessler 10 psychological distress scale.
  • The majority of Canadians (68%) want either some (48%) or all (20%) public health measure to remain in place, primarily because “people are still being hospitalized or dying due to the virus”. The majority of those who want most or all of the restrictions to be lifted (38%) feel that “the virus is going to be around, so we need to learn to live with it” (76%).

These and other key findings are featured in both the summary report and full survey report – as well as an interactive, searchable data portal – are available at www.mhrc.ca. The online survey was conducted amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=3,512 adult Canadians from February 15-22, 2022, as part of MHRC’s ongoing series of surveys – “Mental Health in Crisis: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Canadians” – designed to capture Canadians’ perceptions of their levels of anxiety and depression to identify and evaluate factors that influence mental health.

Almost nine-in-ten Uber drivers support new Uber-UFCW agreement and proposed industry reforms

February 23, 2022 – A new Pollara Strategic Insights survey of drivers and delivery people working on the Uber platform reveals very high support for the new agreement between Uber Canada and UFCW Canada. The study also found that drivers and delivery people provide resounding support to their provincial government enacting the slate of industry reforms that are laid out in the agreement.  

  • After reading a description of the agreement, 85% of all drivers and delivery people working on the Uber platform expressed support for it. Only 6% were opposed. Notably, 87% of drivers and delivery peop le in BC and Ontario were supportive.
  • After reading the list of proposed reforms for app-based workers contained in the agreement, 89% of drivers and delivery people expressed support, and only 4% were opposed. Nine-in-ten drivers and delivery people in BC (91%) and Ontario (90%) were supportive.

Testing support for each of the reforms separately revealed high, strong support for provincial governments enacting each of the individual reforms proposed, with each element garnering between 86% to 91% support.    

These high levels of support for the Uber Canada-UFCW Canada agreement and their industry reform proposals are not surprising given that the survey also found that the goals of the agreement and its proposed reforms align very strongly with driver and delivery people’s values and preferences – especially their strong desire to maintain flexibility and control over their schedule.

These are the key findings of an online survey conducted from February 2-9, 2022 by Pollara Strategic Insights, on behalf of Uber Canada, amongst a randomly selected, representative sample of N=1,000 app-based rideshare drivers and delivery people on the Uber platform. Survey results amongst the total sample carry a margin of error of ± 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The sub-samples and margins of error for BC and Ontario drivers and delivery people were n=197 (± 7.0%) and n=537 (± 4.2%), respectively.  

For a detailed summary of the findings from this survey as well as a summary of the agreement and its proposed reforms, please see our report.  For UFCW and Uber’s commentary on the agreement, their proposed industry reforms, and this study, please see their opinion editorial in iPolitics.

Economic Outlook 2022: Most Canadians positive about personal finances, but many have negative expectations for the economy and inflation 

February 8, 2022 — The results are in for the 27th annual edition of Pollara Strategic Insights’ Economic Outlook study – Canada’s longest-running study of the public’s perceptions and expectations of the economy and their personal financial situation.  

It reveals that most Canadians are in a psychological recession and tend to hold negative expectations for the economy, although perceptions are somewhat improved compared to January 2021.  

Yet, when considering their personal finances, most continue to report a positive situation – as many Canadians have higher levels of savings due to reduced consumer spending and unprecedented government supports (i.e. CERB) during the pandemic. Buttressing this sense of financial stability, the study also found significantly reduced public expectations of job losses.  

However, there are potential storm clouds on the horizon. When it comes to public expectations for 2022, almost half of Canadians now feel that they will fall behind the pace of the cost of living in the months ahead. An equal proportion say they will keep pace with, or outpace, the cost of living, but many Canadians may have more negative perspectives on their personal finances dependent upon the trajectory of the rate of inflation.  

  • When it comes to the cost of living, most Canadians (69%) are stressed about grocery prices, and majorities (50-56%) of the public are also stressed about the gas prices, housing expenses, income taxes, and telecom bills.

See the full details in our report and commentary on the study in the Toronto Star.

Half of Canadians say proof of vaccination mandate has positive impact on their mental health

Nov 25, 2021 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) today released the results of the ninth study in their ongoing series of surveys devoted to tracking and exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians’ mental health. This wave of the study was conducted from Late October to Early November 2021. The study will continue with new surveys every 6-8 weeks until March 2022. The key findings of this study include: 

  • The new proof of vaccination mandate has had a positive impact on the mental health of 47% of Canadians polled, with 25% saying it has had a very positive impact. 
  • Among the small minority of Canadians who are unvaccinated, half (47%) indicated that the proof of vaccination mandate has had a negative effect on their mental health. 
  • Overall, anxiety levels among Canadians are holding steady, although lower by 2 points since August 2021 (23%, from 25%). 
  • However, suicide ideation remains high: 14% of respondents said they have thought about suicide in the past year, with 3% having planned a suicide attempt.
  • Accessing mental health support services has increased 4 percentage points over the past seven months, from 18% to 22%. Before COVID, approximately 12% of Canadians were accessing services.

These are just some of the results from the latest wave of MHRC’s ongoing survey series studying the mental health of Canadians during the pandemic, conducted with the support of Health Canada.  It is based on an online survey conducted among a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=4,1008 adult Canadians from October 22 to November 3, 2021. On behalf of MHRC, Pollara Strategic Insights designed, conducted, and analysed the results of this survey and the previous surveys in this ongoing series. The next survey installment will be in field soon. Stay tuned for more results in the months ahead. 

Please visit the MHRC survey reporting hub to download the full or abridged research report for this poll or any of the other polls in this series.  In addition, you can also visit MHRC’s interactive data portal to explore tracking data from this survey series across a number of the study’s key measures.

Three-quarters of Ontarians support provincial government allowing symptomatic COVID testing in pharmacies

November 16, 2021 – A new Pollara Strategic Insights survey reveals that three-quarters (76%) of Ontarians support their provincial government allowing neighbourhood pharmacies to conduct symptomatic COVID-19 testing.

This support is not lukewarm in nature, as 43% strongly support and 33% moderately support the government allowing this. Moreover, just 15% oppose the proposed measure, while 9% are unsure.

Amongst Ontarians who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, two-thirds (64%) feel safe visiting a neighbourhood pharmacy that conducts symptomatic COVID tests.

The survey also found that a range of safety measures are important to Ontarians in order to assuage potential concerns. The most important steps that pharmacies can take on this front are to maintain physical distancing, infection control, and sanitization (66% indicating this is very important); have a thorough pre-test screening for those entering the premises such that symptomatic people are moved to a separate area (62% very important); and have a separate entry and waiting area for those coming in for symptomatic testing (58% very important).

For more details, see our report.

IFIC and Pollara Release 2021 Canadian Mutual Fund and ETF Investor Survey

Annual survey reveals historically high investor knowledge about investing in funds

September 29, 2021 (Toronto) – The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and Pollara Strategic Insights today released the results of their annual Canadian Mutual Fund and Exchange-Traded Fund Investor Survey. The annual survey has tracked attitudes, expectations and behaviours of Canadian investors since 2006.

The survey this year included questions about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian mutual fund and ETF investors, and their ability to save and invest. The survey also included a responsible investing component for the second year, as well as questions on the value of advice, satisfaction with CRM2 statements, and the role of technology in the advisor-client relationship.

IFIC and Pollara have continued to adapt the survey to explore the new issues that matter to Canadian investors, which ultimately helps the industry better understand their needs,” said Paul Bourque, President and CEO, IFIC. “This year, it was particularly interesting to learn that more investors were asked by their advisors about their interest in responsible investing.”

“The global pandemic has shaped the lives of Canadians over the last eighteen months,” said Lesli Martin, Vice President, Pollara Strategic Insights. “It is encouraging to see that investors have been able to save and invest more during these challenging times, and have also shown notable increases in satisfaction with their annual disclosure statements.”

Key Findings:

  • Investors report historically high levels of knowledge about investing in mutual funds and ETFs, with 85% of mutual fund investors stating they believe they are somewhat to very knowledgeable about investing in mutual funds, and 86% of ETF investors stating that they are somewhat to very knowledgeable about investing in ETFs.
  • Similar to the last three years, 96% of mutual fund investors who use an advisor are somewhat to very satisfied with the advice given by the advisor. For ETF investors, satisfaction is at 98%.
  • There were significant increases in satisfaction with CRM2 statements in 2021 for both MF and ETF investors.
  • Approximately one-third of both mutual fund and ETF investors reported that they were able to save more during the pandemic and approximately half of each group was not impacted in their ability to save.
  • For those investors who are talking to their advisors in a different way since the pandemic, 52% of mutual fund investors and 70% of ETF investors are talking through video conference platforms.
  • Despite the high levels of satisfaction with all forms of communication, the vast majority of mutual fund and ETF investors report that their preference post-pandemic would be in-person or phone communication.

Download the full report.

About IFIC

The Investment Funds Institute of Canada is the voice of Canada’s investment funds industry. IFIC brings together 150 organizations, including fund managers, distributors and industry service organizations, to foster a strong, stable investment sector where investors can realize their financial goals. By connecting Canada’s savers to Canada’s economy, our industry contributes significantly to Canadian economic growth and job creation.

For more information please contact: Pira Kumarasamy
Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs
pkumarasamy@ific.ca
416-309-2317

MHRC’s Pandemic Survey Series, Wave 8: Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Report Significantly Different Mental Health Experiences  

September 28, 2021 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) has released its 8th survey in its ongoing series of surveys on Canadians’ mental health since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reveals asignificant divide in mental health experiences of Canadians as more of the population is vaccinated. Respondents who have not been vaccinated indicated significantly more symptoms of mental distress, as well as higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to those who have received the vaccine.   

For the first time in this ongoing series of MHRC research – designed, conducted, and analysed by Pollara Strategic Insights – the majority (84%) of respondents reported being double-vaccinated. Three out of four of these individuals (75%) indicated concern about the continuing potential threat of COVID-19, compared to 38% of unvaccinated respondents. However, unvaccinated Canadians indicated significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression when looking ahead two months in the context of pandemic-related restrictions.   

Key findings include:

  • A quarter (26%) of parents indicate that their children “rarely” or “never” had a chance to socialize with other children in the last month.
  • A third (32%) of Canadians indicate either that they are, or they should be, accessing mental health supports since COVID-19.
  • The increase in mental health service delivery is almost entirely in virtual services (phone, text, online) — 4% of Canadians were accessing services in this way in the year prior to COVID, compared to 14% now.

These and other key findings are featured in both the summary report and full survey report for this wave of research – as well as an interactive, searchable data portal – available at www.mhrc.ca. The online survey was conducted amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=3,010 adult Canadians from August 17-24, 2021, as part of MHRC’s ongoing series of surveys – “Mental Health in Crisis: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Canadians” – designed to capture Canadians’ perceptions of their levels of anxiety and depression to identify and evaluate factors that influence mental health.

One-third of Canadians report their mental health is affecting their ability to function, with social and family life being the hardest hit

Of these Canadians still in school or in the workforce, 8% noted losing school or work days to mental health and 30% noted their productivity is significantly impaired. 

These are some of the key findings of MHRC’s sixth poll in our ongoing series of polls on “Mental Health in Crisis: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Canadians.” The poll captures Canadians’ perceptions of their levels of anxiety and depression in order to identify and evaluate the factors that influence mental health.  

On the positive side, two-thirds (69%) of Canadians indicate a high degree of resiliency, which suggests a belief in a robust mental health recovery post-pandemic and a level of optimism. When looking ahead two months, even Canadians with high levels of anxiety expect their mental health to improve (28% to 18%), which suggests the vaccine efforts, reduced lockdowns and start of summer will improve mental health. Depression levels are expected to remain steady. 

Other major findings of MHRC’s study include:  

  • Self-rated anxiety continues to rise, with 28% of Canadians reporting high levels of anxiety and 17% reporting high levels of depression. This is driven primarily by an increase in Ontario, where 1 in 3 (33%) Ontarians reports high levels of anxiety and 1 in 5 (21%) reports high levels of depression.
  • Specific groups and demographics continue to show the highest rates of self-rated anxiety and depression, including younger Canadians, those with young children at home, those living alone or with roommates, and frontline healthcare workers.
  • Going outside (walking and hiking) continues to be the most positive thing you can do to support your mental health.
  • The number of Canadians accessing mental health services is increasing, with 11% accessing services in the year before the onset of the pandemic, compared to 18% who accessed in the year that COVID began.

Data for our seventh poll will be collected in the first to second week of June.  

ABOUT THE STUDY

The poll was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights from April 20 to April 28, 2021. A total of 4,005 adult Canadians were surveyed online, including an oversample of 500 surveys with residents of New Brunswick and an oversample of 500 surveys with residents of Newfoundland.

Results of earlier polls are compared when applicable. Results from a probability sample of this size could be considered accurate to within ±2.2 percentage points; they are weighted based on age, gender and region to be representative of the Canadian population. 

Findings from Polls 2 to 5 are searchable on our free Data Portal — and the findings of Poll 6 are in the process of being integrated.

Prosperity Project, Wave 2: Rising stress, anxiety, and depression among women during COVID-19

Prosperity

March 14, 2021 – Mental health concerns are on the rise among Canada’s working women, especially mothers, as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, according to the second Prosperity Project survey exploring the impact of the pandemic on women in Canada.

Conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights in partnership with The Prosperity Project and CIBC, the second national survey of more than 1,000 adults found women much more likely than men to feel anxious, stressed, and depressed during the pandemic’s second wave as compared to the first. Although employment situations have not changed substantially since the first survey in August 2020, mental health has declined significantly. These feelings are even higher among working mothers, who reported experiencing higher levels of stress (52%), anxiety (47%) and depression (43%), compared to working women without children (36%; 38%; 29%). These levels are also higher when compared to working fathers (37%; 40%; 27%).

In addition to worries about helping with schoolwork and their children’s safety, mothers are also more likely to feel guilty about not spending time with their children and are more likely to turn down jobs or promotions to spend more time with their family. The survey also found that, during the pandemic’s second wave, women were more likely to consider quitting their job, ask for reduced working hours or take a position with different working conditions.

Other highlights of the poll include:

  • Women continue to be more worried about their household finances, particularly about repaying debts they already have and paying household bills. However, a plurality of men is also concerned. Working parents are much more concerned about all these issues than those who don’t have children.
  • Four-in-ten respondents men (41%) and women (40%) say they have had to use their savings during the pandemic to make ends meet. Working parents (48% of working mothers, compared to 44% of working fathers), reported having to dip into their savings than those without children (35% women; 38% men).
  • 44% of women feel that they will face an economic recession and lack of job prospects once the pandemic is over. 
  • Notably, more racialized/visible minority women (41%) than white women (29%) believe that women are less likely to be considered for jobs after the pandemic.

On behalf of the Prosperity Project, Pollara Strategic Insights conducted an online survey among a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=1,003 adult Canadians from January 26-February 1, 2021. As a guideline, a probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of ± 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. Demographic and regional quotas were used to ensure reliable and comparable sub-segment analysis, and the data was weighted by the most current gender, age, and region Census data to ensure the sample reflects the actual population of adult Canadians.

This survey is part of The Prosperity Project’s 2021 Canadian Households’ Perspective on the New Economy initiative. Partner organizations in the initiative are Enterprise Canada, CIBC, and Pollara Strategic Insights.

Visit The Prosperity Project website for the complete reports to both waves of this ongoing study.

One Year Later: Canadian concerns about COVID-19 and views on vaccines

March 12, 2021 – Our latest sounding on Canadians’ views and feelings about the pandemic reveals that slim majorities of the public continue to approve of the Trudeau Liberal Government’s overall governance of the country and response to COVID-19. Most notably, there is a significant increase in the number of Canadians who intend to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as soon as the vaccine is available to them, accompanied by a related decrease in the number of Canadians who express hesitancy or opposition about it.

When considering specific actions by the Trudeau Government regarding the pandemic, six-in-ten Canadians approve of the Liberals’ job performance on communicating and informing the public about matters related to the outbreak, and about half approve of the Government’s job performance on managing and controlling the spread of new COVID-19 variants.

Concerns about COVID-19 spread and risks remain at the same levels seen in Dec 2020, and have abated only slightly since March 2020. Two-thirds of Canadians are still concerned about catching the virus themselves, and remain more worried about family members, friends, and other Canadians outside of their social circle catching it.

  • One year after the onset of the pandemic, a large majority of Canadians (86%;-7) remain concerned about the pandemic’s impact on the economy. Concerns about the impact on students’ education are still high (68%) – slightly lower than Dec 2020 (-4), but higher than at the beginning of the pandemic (+6).
  • Although just over half (52%) of Canadians are concerned about the pandemic’s impact on their personal finances, this represents a notable 8-point decrease in concern since December 2020 and 20-point decrease since March 2020. This improved sentiment regarding personal finances aligns with the findings of our recent studies on the middle class and 2021 economic expectations – wherein we found that many Canadians were reporting higher savings rates and greater financial stability due to pandemic-related reductions in consumer spending and unprecedented income support from the federal government.

Compared to December 2020, more Canadians now intend to get vaccinated as soon as possible (59%; +9), while fewer say they will wait a while before getting the shot (21%; -8). Less than one-in-ten (8%; – 3) now say they will never get vaccinated.  Seven percent (7%; -2) are unsure if they will get it.

Vaccination hesitancy amongst those preferring to wait, those opposed to the vaccine, and those who are unsure is primarily rooted in concerns about safety, side effects, and rushed trials – followed by lack of information.

  • Those who say they will never get vaccinated are also driven by skepticism about the vaccines’ efficacy.

For more details, see our report.

Latest Mental Health Research Canada study (Wave 5) finds anxiety and depression continuing to rise during pandemic

February 26, 2021 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) today released the results of the fifth study in their ongoing series of surveys devoted to tracking and exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians’ mental health. This study was conducted in Early February 2021, while MHRC’s previous studies were conducted in April, August, October, and December 2020. The study will continue with new surveys every 6-8 weeks until March 2022. The key findings of this study include: 

  • Canadians are reporting their highest levels of anxiety (25%; +2 since December) and depression (17%; +2) of the pandemic to-date – above the levels at the peak of COVID’s first wave.
  • More than 1.8 million Canadians ages 18 and older – or 6% of the population – have all four negative indicators, based on a composite index, that this study uses to track mental health. The indicators are: a high anxiety and depression rating, moderate to severe mental health symptoms, low management of stress, and low resiliency. Female and younger Canadians are over-represented in this group.
  • Social isolation is now the leading self-reported stressor having a negative impact on mental health, increasing again in Poll 5.
  • The economy is again having a negative impact on mental health, countering the signs of improvement noted in Poll 4. More than half of Canadians are worried about making ends meet, a considerable increase since before the pandemic.
  • Younger Canadians, ages 18 to 34, are the group who tend to be the most vulnerable to a decline in mental health. This group exhibits a higher incidence of anxiety and depression, a higher incidence of daily symptoms, and are more likely to be scored as severe on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Also, the economic decline, ability to make ends meet financially, and social isolation are disproportionately having a negative impact on this group’s mental health. They are also less likely to be optimistic about their ability to recover and are less likely to be receiving treatment. 
  • Canadians report that getting outdoors is the best activity to support positive mental health, with two-fifths of Canadians indicating a positive impact on mental health even during the winter months. The impact is significantly more positive than physical activity (21%) and a number of indoor activities including reading (30%) and entertainment (25%).​

These are just some of the results from the latest MHRC pandemic study, based on an online survey conducted among a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=3,005 adult Canadians from February 1-8, 2021. On behalf of MHRC, Pollara Strategic Insights designed, conducted, and analysed the results of this survey and the previous surveys in this ongoing series. The next survey installment will be in field soon. Stay tuned for more results in the months ahead.

Please visit the MHRC survey data hub to download the full report of these survey findings as well as the reports from the previous surveys in this series.

Canadians and COVID-19: Views on government, concerns, & vaccines

January 25, 2021 – Our latest survey about the pandemic reveals that Canadians continue to approve of the Trudeau Liberal Government’s response to COVID-19, remain concerned about health risks and economic impacts, and are largely in favour of getting vaccinated. And, we uncover the key drivers of vaccine hesitancy and how this hesitancy may be overcome.   

Our survey reveals that a majority of Canadians continue to approve of the Trudeau Liberal Government’s overall management and response to COVID-19. Six-in-ten also approve of the Trudeau Government’s job performance on providing financial assistance to Canadians and businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and about half approve of their job performance in providing Canadians and businesses COVID-related non-financial assistance.

Importantly, about two-thirds of Canadians approve of the Trudeau Government’s job performance on COVID-19 vaccine access, communications, and distribution.

Concerns about the spread and risk of catching COVD-19 have abated only slightly since the pandemic started in March 2020. Two-thirds of Canadians are still concerned about catching the virus themselves, and remain more worried about family members, friends, and other Canadians outside of their social circle catching it.  

Nine-in-ten Canadians (87%; -6) are still concerned about the pandemic’s impact on the economy, and more are now concerned about its impact on students’ education (72%; +10). On a somewhat positive note, fewer are concerned about the pandemic’s impact on their personal finances – however, these concerns are still relatively high (60%; -12). This improved sentiment regarding personal finances aligns with the findings of our recent studies on the middle class and 2021 economic expectations.  

Eight-in-ten (79%) Canadians intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible (50%) or after waiting awhile (29%). One-in-ten (11%) initially say they will never get vaccinated, and another 9% are unsure.   

Vaccination hesitancy amongst those preferring to wait, those opposed to the vaccine, and those who are unsure is primarily rooted in concerns about safety, side effects, and rushed trials – followed by lack of information. Those who say they will never get vaccinated are also driven by skepticism about the vaccines’ efficacy.

Notably, a third (34%) of those who initially said they would never get the vaccine indicate that they “want to be sure it is safe before getting it”, suggesting that a third of this cohort may be willing to get vaccinated if the vaccine is proven to be safe. This would reduce the proportion who are opposed to getting the vaccine from 11% to 7%. This proportion may be further reduced once the vaccine’s efficacy can be witnessed.  

For more details, see our report.

Latest Mental Health Research Canada study (Wave 4) finds highest levels of anxiety and depression of the pandemic

MHRC

Jan 14, 2021 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) today released the results of the fourth study in their ongoing series of surveys devoted to tracking and exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians’ mental health. MHRC’s previous studies were conducted in April, August, and October, 2020. 

The key findings of this study include: 

  • Canadians are reporting their highest levels of anxiety (23%) and depression (15%) of the pandemic to-date – above the levels at the peak of COVID’s first wave.
  • However, most Canadians are optimistic that they will recover once the pandemic is over, with 65% of Canadians indicating they remain highly resilient to challenges like COVID-19.
  • Frontline healthcare workers report high levels of anxiety, high levels of an anxiety diagnosis, as well as high levels of accessing treatment for anxiety and high levels of resiliency in overcoming these challenges.
  • 75% of Canadians indicate they will be getting a COVID-19 vaccination. 
  • Notably, those who are more concerned or who indicated they would not get the vaccine report a higher degree of anxiety and depression overall.
  • Social isolation and working from home are having more of a negative impact on mental health as the pandemic continues and as guidelines restricting movement are in place.

These are just some of the results from the latest MHRC pandemic study, based on an online survey conducted among a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=2,761 adult Canadians from December 10-18, 2020. On behalf of MHRC, Pollara Strategic Insights designed, conducted, and analysed the results of this survey and the previous surveys in this ongoing series. The next survey installment will be field soon. Stay tuned for more results in the months ahead.

Please visit the MHRC survey data hub to download the full report of these survey findings as well as reports from the previous surveys in this series.

Economic Outlook 2021: Canadians sour on the economy, but more positive about personal finances

January 12, 2021 — The results are in for the 26th annual edition of Pollara Strategic Insights’ Economic Outlook study – Canada’s longest-running study of the public’s perceptions and expectations of the economy and their personal financial situation. It reveals a dramatic decline in Canadians’ views and expectations regarding the economy, but largely positive and somewhat improved sentiment about their own personal financial situation.   The positive outlook of 2018 was short-lived, as Canadians began 2019 once again feeling they were in a recession. Although 2020 began with a somewhat improved – but still negative – perception of the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic struck shortly thereafter. Thus, unsurprisingly, the public’s perception of the economy has now turned severely negative, with 81% (+34) feeling that the economy is in recession. Just 9% (-28) feel we are in a period of growth, although Q3 2020 saw our real GDP grow by 8.9%, following declines in Q2 (11.3%) and Q1 (1.9%).

  • Notably, there is an increase in the intensity of this perception, with 32% (+26) perceiving a severe recession and close to half (49%; +8) feeling a mild recession.
  • Those who believe Canada is in a recession are expecting it to last for a longer duration than in previous years, with a  majority expecting it to last either 1 to 2 years (48%) or longer (20%).
  • Most Canadians hold a negative outlook for 2021, expecting the Canadian economy and employment levels to worsen or remain stagnant. However, compared to previous years, more Canadians are expecting an improvement both factors.

Although Canadians have negative perceptions of the economy, sentiment about their personal financial situation is largely positive and somewhat improved compared to January 2020. Although this finding may appear counter-intuitive, it aligns with the findings of the sixth wave of our recent study on class identity and financial stability, wherein we found that many Canadians were reporting higher savings rates and greater financial stability – likely due to pandemic-related reductions in consumer spending and unprecedented income support from the federal government.

  • More than three-quarters are holding their own (54%; +1) or getting ahead (20%; +8) – an increase of 9 points, overall, since January 2020. And, fewer report that they are losing ground (22%; -10).
  • Also, fewer Canadians report that their household income is falling behind the cost of living (39%; -6). The remainder are outpacing (10%; +2), or keeping pace (43%; +2) with, the cost of living. 
  • Fears of job loss in the household have increased once again (35%; +10), to the largest level recorded in the past 26 years of this tracking study – just slightly above the previous high of 34% in 2014. However, just 8% say such job loss is very likely.

On a related economic matter, our study also found that approval ratings for the new CUSMA free trade agreement (AKA NAFTA 2.0 or USMCA) remain steady since 2019. Half (51%; +1) approve, while 19% (-2) disapprove and 30% are unsure – a level of uncertainty typically recorded for questions concerning free trade agreements as well as low-profile foreign affairs issues. Importantly, amongst Canadians with an opinion on this matter, almost three quarters (73%) approve, with just 23% expressing disapproval.

See the full details in our report and commentary in the Toronto Star article.

Hospital reputations on the rise during COVID-19

January 7, 2021 — Our annual hospital reputation tracking survey reveals that Canadians held a significantly improved overall impression of their primary hospital in 2020, as compared to 2019. In September 2020 – six months into the COVID-19 pandemic – Canadians who held an opinion about their primary hospital provided a mean average impression rating score of 7.1 on a 0-10 scale. In 2019, the average impression score was 6.5. All provinces and regions provided higher overall impressions, except Saskatchewan – where the mean average rating held steady year-over-year. 

Amongst Canadians with an opinion, impressions of the overall quality of care provided by their primary hospital increased slightly compared to 2019 (7.1 vs. 6.9). Most provinces and regions provided higher impressions of quality of care, with Manitoba residents expressing the greatest increase (6.8 vs. 5.8). In contrast, residents of Saskatchewan and Quebec exhibit somewhat reduced impressions on this factor.

On average, Canadians with an opinion on the matter provide an impression rating of 7.3 to their primary hospital’s management of, and response to, COVID-19. Primary hospital impressions on this factor are highest in Atlantic Canada (7.8), B.C. (7.6), Alberta (7.5) and Ontario (7.5), whereas they are below the national average in Quebec (7.0), Saskatchewan (6.7), and Manitoba (6.6).

For the full detailed results, please see our report.

Municipal Satisfaction 2020: Canadians’ satisfaction with municipal governments on the rise during COVID-19

January 6, 2021 — Our annual municipal satisfaction tracking survey reveals that Canadians were somewhat more satisfied with their municipal government in 2020, as compared to 2019. In September 2020 – six months into the COVID-19 pandemic – seven-in-ten (70%) Canadians were satisfied with their local government, overall. This represents a 7-point increase over 2019.  Satisfaction was highest in Atlantic Canada (75%; +14), Ontario (74%; +11), and Saskatchewan (71%; +16), and lower in Manitoba (66%; +13), Quebec (66%; -3), British Columbia (66%; -2), and Alberta (62%; +6). However, all provinces and regions saw increased year-over-year satisfaction, except for Quebec and BC.

Most Canadians remain satisfied with the quality of services provided by their local municipal government (71%;+5 since 2019). Ontario (76%; +10) and BC (73%; +1) lead on this score, as the other provinces and regions post satisfaction ratings ranging from 69% in Quebec to 61% in Manitoba. All provinces and regions posted increased satisfaction on this factor, except for Quebec, which held steady. 

Most Canadians also remain satisfied with the range of services provided by their municipal government (73%; +4). Satisfaction is once again highest in Ontario (79%; +9), followed closely by Alberta (76%; +8). The remaining provinces post satisfaction ratings ranging from 71% in Quebec to 64% in Manitoba. All provinces and regions received higher saw increased satisfaction with the range of municipal services, except for BC (67%; -7) and Quebec (71%; -2).

Across all of the factors assessed, municipal governments in Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta consistently receive the most improved satisfaction ratings compared to 2019.

Seven-in-ten (71%) Canadians are satisfied with how their local municipal government has managed and responded to COVID-19. Residents are most satisfied in Ontario (74%), Atlantic Canada (73%), Alberta (71%), and Quebec (70%), and less satisfied in Manitoba (66%), BC (65%), and Saskatchewan (62%).

For the full detailed results, please see our report.

More Canadians feeling financially stable in 2020

December 7, 2020 – In the 6th and latest wave of In Search of the Middle Class: Class Identity and Financial Stability among Canadians, Pollara has found notable improvement in Canadians’ sentiments and perceptions of their class identity and, especially, financial stability compared to 2019. There is a more positive perspective emerging amongst the public, nearly aligning with the positivity seen in 2017.

Most (76%) Canadians continue to feel Middle Class on a “gut” level. Moreover, belief in social mobility is strong and notably improved. Two-in-three (66%) Canadians are confident that they can be Middle Class or higher through hard work, but parents are much more optimistic about their children’s future (79%). Although only half (53%) of the public are optimistic about the future of the Middle Class, this is the highest level of optimism we have recorded since we began this study in 2014.

A positive trend is also seen among Canadians’ personal financial situation -more are feeling financially secure (12%; +4) or report that they are getting ahead with some savings (41%; +10), while fewer say they are falling behind on their monthly expenses (8%; -7) or are just getting by with no savings (39%; -7). Indeed, compared to 2019, fewer Canadians feel their financial situation (43%; -7) and quality of life (38%; -9) have declined, or that they are having trouble making ends meet (35%; -14). Nevertheless, a slight majority of Canadians continue to feel their income has not kept pace with their cost of living – although again, far fewer are feeling this way compared to previous years (56%; -11 from 2019; -22 from 2018). 

  • Canadians’ improved sense of personal financial stability may initially appear counterintuitive, given the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, pandemic-related factors may have contributed to this improved public sentiment among many Canadians. Specifically, COVID-19 restrictions have forced many Canadians to reduce consumer spending on luxuries, recreation and leisure, vacations, and more, resulting in higher savings rates for many (but not all) households. Indeed, BMO Capital Markets recently announced that Canadian households are currently sitting on more than $150 billion in savings. Additionally, the federal government has provided unprecedented income support to Canadians via programs such as the CERB and CRB. 

However, many Canadians have also face increased income and job instability due to COVID-19. Since the outbreak, one-in-ten have seen either themselves (13%) or a family member (10%) lose work hours/pay, and about one-in-sixteen report job losses for themselves (6%) or someone else in the household (6%). An additional two-in-ten Canadians feel it is likely that they or someone in their household will lose work hours/ pay or get laid off due to the pandemic.

Half (48%) say their personal financial situation and quality of life have declined since the outbreak, and a quarter (26%) say their household now carries new or more debt because of the pandemic. Among those who feel their financial situation has worsened, just one-in-ten (11%) expect it to return to pre-COVID levels or better in less than a year, while most feel it will take between 1 and 4 years. These findings align with recently-released Bank of Canada data which show that Canada’s years-long trend of household debt growth outpacing gross domestic product (GDP) made a sharp increase in the first half of 2020. Yet, recent Statistics Canada data demonstrates that the debt Canadians are carrying has shrunk relative to their disposable income compared to 2019, even as borrowing increased in the second quarter of 2020. However, as we see in our data, the pandemic-related increase in savings and disposable income which has helped to partially offset debtload is not found across all socioeconomic brackets. 

  • Indeed, lower income households (less than $50K) continue to feel financial strain, with two-thirds (67%) reporting that they are just getting by (53%) or are falling behind (14%). On the other hand, those earning $50K-75K annually are more likely to say they are getting ahead (43-46%) or feeling financially secure (12-14%). The $100K+ income households are feeling much more financially secure (20%) and getting ahead with some savings (55%), while none say they are falling behind.

Thus, the pandemic may be leading to increased polarization of Canada’s socioeconomic brackets, raising significant challenges for federal and provincial policymakers.

For more details and analysis, please download our report.   

One year later – Battleground Ontario: Liberal gains put majority government in play

As the 43rd Parliament marks its one-year anniversary this week, a Pollara Strategic Insights survey find that the governing Liberals are strengthening their grip on seat-rich Ontario.

Between October 23 and November 16th, Pollara Strategic Insights interviewed 2,129 voting-age residents in Ontario, providing an in-depth look at the key electoral battleground and in each of its regions.

Liberal Ontario edge more than doubles

The Liberal lead over the Conservatives has grown from +8% in the 2019 election to +18% one year later. The Liberal advantage over the Conservatives has grown the most in Hamilton-Niagara and the 905 regions.

Liberal popular support exceeds 2015 levels

Liberal support stands at 46%, a five-point increase over their 2019 election result in Ontario, and one point higher than Justin Trudeau’s majority government win in 2015.

Liberal support is up only slightly in Toronto compared to the 2019 election (+1%). Growth has been focused outside Toronto from a 3% increase in Southwest Ontario to a 7% increase in the 905 and a 7% increase in Hamilton-Niagara.

Conservative support yet to lift off

Despite the election of Erin O’Toole, the party’s first Ontario-based leader since George Drew, the Conservatives have fallen back in Ontario compared to its 2019 results. The Andrew Scheer-led Conservatives garnered 33% of the popular vote in Ontario in 2019, while Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives currently garner the support of 28% of decided Ontarians. Conservative support has dropped in all of Ontario’s regions.

NDP steady in third

Jagmeet Singh’s NDP are up slightly to 18%, and steady compared to its popular vote in both the 2019 (17%) and 2015 (17%) federal elections in Ontario. Compared to the 2019 election, NDP support has improved in Hamilton/Niagara region while falling in Northern Ontario.

Liberal Ontario seat advantage would grow by 11 seats

With its popular vote lead over the Conservatives more than doubling, the Liberals are in a position to challenge and take seats in key battlegrounds.

Pollara has applied these polling results to project the distribution of federal seats in Ontario. The seat projection is calculated by adjusting a party’s riding-by-riding results based on the party’s popular vote in that region compared to the 2019 election results in the same region.

If an election were held today, the Liberals would increase from 79 to 90 seats; the Conservatives would decrease from 36 to 24 seats, and the NDP would increase from 6 to 7 seats.

Ontario – federal seatsLibCPCNDP
2015 election80338
2019 election79366
Seat projection (Nov 2020  90247

These scenarios illustrate how increased support in Ontario can bring the Trudeau Liberals closer to a majority government. With 157 Liberals elected in 2019 nation-wide, an increase in Ontario of 11 seats would bring them to 168 seats, near the majority needed (170 seats) on the basis of Ontario alone.



# of seats

2019 election
results (Ontario)

Seat
projection

Lib

CPC

NDP

Lib

CPC

NDP

Toronto

23

23

0

0

0

0

0

905

34

26

8

0

+3

-3

0

Hamilton-Niagara

9

4

3

2

+3

-3

0

Southwest

27

9

16

2

+1

-2

+1

Eastern Ontario

17

11

6

0

+3

-3

0

Northern Ontario

11

6

3

2

+1

-1

0

All

121

79

36

6

+11

-12

+1

Focus on 905

Pollara interviewed 506 voting-age respondents in the 905. Overall, Liberal support increased from 45% (2019 election) to 52% in this critical battleground. Conservative support decreased from 36% to 32%, opening up a substantial Liberal advantage (from 9% in 2019 election to 20%).

Incumbent Liberal seats in areas like Brampton, Halton Region, Mississauga, and York Region would see larger margins of victory.

The Liberals could take an already strong hand (26 of 34 seats) and take up to 29 seats based on current polling results.

Battleground Ontario

As the Liberal Party works to reconstruct a majority in Parliament, it may be able to lean more on Ontario to provide the necessary gains. A Conservative pathway to power depends on a breakthrough in Ontario, considering that a breakthrough in Quebec may prove more difficult. Erin O’Toole, barely three months on the job as leader, will need to reclaim not only voters who supported the Stephen Harper government, but also solidify voters that backed Andrew Scheer one year ago. As these results show, the Liberal Party leads across all age groups, including a 17-point lead among 55+ voters.

A week or month in politics can be an eternity. But right now, the Conservative Party has a steep climb in order to challenge the Liberals in Canada’s biggest political battleground.

Methodology

From October 23 to November 16, 2020, Pollara Strategic Insights surveyed N=2,129 randomly-selected adult Ontarians via an online survey methodology. Among this sample, n=1,812 were decided voters (leaners included).

Online surveys cannot officially be assigned a margin of error. Probability samples of these sizes carry margins of error of ± 2.1% and ± 2.3%, respectively, 19 times out of 20. The data were weighted to ensure that the sample reflects the gender, age, and regional distribution of the actual adult Canadian population based upon the most recent Census. Any discrepancies in totals are due to rounding.

For additional information, please see our data tables and seat projection model.

Latest Mental Health Research Canada study reveals getting outdoors is best way to counteract negative impacts of pandemic on mental health

November 16, 2020 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) recently released the results of the third study in their year-long series of surveys devoted to tracking and exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians’ mental health. MHRC’s previous studies were conducted in April and August, 2020. 

Among the key findings in this latest survey, Canadians report that spending time outside (39%) is having a more positive effect on their mental health than any other activity. This may raises the question: How will winter weather and another possible lockdown affect Canadians and their mental well-being?

Other major findings of this study include: 

  • Self-rated anxiety and depression rose dramatically when the pandemic started, but the rates remain relatively stable despite changing COVID-19 case counts and restrictions across Canada. Levels of anxiety and depression are still, respectively, four times and two times pre-pandemic levels. (MHRC’s study validates self-rated mental health scores using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale.) Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of Canadians reporting high levels of anxiety increased from 5% to 20%. As time has continued, 21% still say they have high anxiety. The proportion of Canadians reporting high depression doubled following the COVID outbreak (12%) and remains at this level.
  • Those Canadians who indicated a low degree of adherence to COVID-19 regulations report a high degree of anxiety and especially depression compared to those who actively adhere to these regulations. Those Canadians not adhering also report a higher degree of negative mental health due to the economic downturn resulting from COVID-19 (56% compared to overall response of 44%). This group indicates that the primary driver of their negative mental health is economic concerns.
  • Other cohorts who are reporting high levels of anxiety and depression include youth aged 18-34 and health care workers.

These are just some of the results from this latest survey, based on an online survey conducted among a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=2,004 adult Canadians from October 22-28, 2020. On behalf of MHRC, Pollara Strategic Insights designed, conducted, and analysed the results of this survey and the previous surveys in this ongoing series. The next survey in this series will be fielded in December.   

Please visit the MHRC website to download the full report of the survey findings.

Carleton University announces recipients of the 2020 Pollara Statistical Confidence Awards

Since 1998, Pollara Strategic Insights has provided annual bursaries to the top statistical methods students in the political science departments at Canadian universities. Recipients must demonstrate sophisticated proficiency with advanced statistical methods as well as excellence in using these techniques to illuminate deep insights and distill a clear understanding of the human motivations and dynamics at play within public opinion datasets.  

At Carleton University, the Pollara Statistical Confidence Award is given to those political science students who produce the best quantitative analysis papers at an advanced stage of their studies.  

This year’s Carleton recipient is Daniel Turenne, a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management program. Congratulations Daniel!  

Carleton’s award announcement and more information on the recipient’s research paper can be found on the Carleton University Department of Political Science webpage

Mental Health Research Canada’s latest survey reveals dramatically increased levels of anxiety and depression remained high even at end of first wave

October 1, 2020 – Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) today released the results of a second major survey from their ongoing series of surveys devoted to tracking and exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians’ mental health. MHRC’s first survey, conducted in April 2020, revealed that the proportion of Canadians reporting high levels of anxiety and depression had quadrupled and doubled, respectively, compared to pre-COVID levels. This second survey reveals that these dramatically increased levels of anxiety and depression remained high in Late August – before the second wave had emerged, when COVID restrictions had been relaxed and cases were relatively low.   

These are just some of the results from this study, based on an online survey conducted among a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=4,010 adult Canadians from August 21-31, 2020. The first MHRC survey on this subject matter was conducted amongst N=1,803 adult Canadians in April 2020. On behalf of MHRC, Pollara Strategic Insights designed, conducted, and analysed the results of these surveys. The next survey in this series will be fielded in October, in order to gauge the impact of COVID-19’s second wave upon the mental health of Canadians.  

Some of the key findings emerging from this second major survey are as follows:  

  • Despite the reduction in lockdown restrictions and in new COVID cases between April and August, high levels of anxiety and depression remained steady – if slightly increased – across Canada (anxiety: 20% in April vs. 22% in August; depression: 10% in April vs. 13% in August).
  • Nearly two-thirds of Canadians who indicated a high level of anxiety or depression would be classified as having a moderate to severe level of psychological distress according to the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Of those in the severe category, the highest proportions were found among men and people living alone.
  • Teachers (K-12) are experiencing high levels of anxiety. In Late August – prior to the second wave – 25% of teachers were reporting high levels of anxiety, compared to just 5% prior to the pandemic. Teachers were also pessimistic about their levels of anxiety over the next two months. Their concerns about contracting the virus (44%) and social isolation (50%) are having an outsized negative effect upon their mental health.
  • While some factors – especially economic stress – that were negatively affecting mental health have been reduced, the activities previously cited by Canadians as having the most positive impact on mental health are no longer effective. Interaction with family members and entertainment are now having either a neutral or a negative effect on mental health. This may indicate that the effect of these positive activities is not long-lasting if the underlying cause of stress is not adequately addressed.
  • Prescription medication is reported by Canadians to be the most common treatment for mental health: 60% of people who indicate a mood or mental disorder diagnosis use prescription medication, with only one-fifth of this group receiving counselling or psychotherapy from a professional.
  • 17% of Canadians are currently accessing mental health services – almost half the proportion who were accessing mental health supports before the pandemic (32%), largely due to reduced access to family doctors and in-person one-to-one mental health services.

  Please visit the MHRC website to download the full report of the survey findings.

IFIC and Pollara Release 2020 Canadian Mutual Fund and ETF Investor Survey

September 21, 2020 – The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and Pollara Strategic Insights today released the results of their annual Canadian Mutual Fund and Exchange-Traded Fund Investor Survey, which has tracked attitudes, expectations, and behaviours of Canadian investors since 2006.

The survey continues to explore confidence in mutual funds and ETFs, the value of advisors, understanding and engagement in fees, and satisfaction with CRM2 statements. For the first time, this year’s survey gauges investor attitudes toward responsible investing.

“The annual Pollara survey enables us to better understand Canadian investors and work towards policy outcomes that best serve their needs,” said Paul Bourque, President and CEO, IFIC. “It is particularly interesting to note the strong interest in responsible investment as we continue to work towards greater clarity with respect to the strategies, products, and terminology related to this approach.”

“During these uncertain times, it is positive to see that investors continue to place a great deal of confidence in mutual funds,” said Lesli Martin, Vice President, Pollara Strategic Insights. “It is also encouraging to see that both mutual fund and ETF investors have shown increased satisfaction with CRM2 statements.”

Key Findings include:

  • Confidence in mutual funds by mutual fund investors is at an all-time high, with 92% of respondents stating that they are somewhat confident, confident, or completely confident in mutual funds.
  • The use of advisors for purchasing mutual funds has declined steadily since 2016, with 75% of investors stating that they work with an advisor in 2020.
  • Satisfaction with advisors remains very high for both mutual fund investors, at 96% and ETF investors, at 98%.
  • Satisfaction with the quality of information in CRM2 statements increased from last year across all key measures for mutual fund investors and ETF investors, including clearly showing the rate of return and clearly showing the fees paid.
  • One-quarter of both mutual fund and ETF investors currently own responsible investments.
  • A majority of both mutual fund (61%) and ETF (61%) investors who do not currently own responsible investments indicate they are somewhat likely, likely, or very likely to include these investments in their portfolio in the next few years.  

Pollara conducted telephone interviews with approximately 1,000 randomly-selected mutual fund holders and 500 ETF holders who are eighteen years of age or older and make all or some of the decisions regarding investment purchases in their households.

For more details, please download the full report in English or French.  Also, please visit the IFIC website for their press release and spokespeople


Canadian women almost twice as likely as men to have lost job due to COVID-19

September 10, 2020 – Our latest survey measuring the impact of COVID-19 on society reveals that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted women, with job losses being reported by almost twice as many women (11%) as men (6%).   

The study also found that two-thirds of Canadians – including working women and men – found it stressful managing children, family, and work during the lockdown. However, a third of women have considered quitting their jobs in order to manage these household issues, compared to less than 20% of men.

Pollara Strategic Insights is proud to partner with The Prosperity Project on this important study. On behalf of The Prosperity Project, Pollara conducted an online survey among a randomly-selected, reliable sample of 1,002 adult Canadians from August 21-24, 2020. A probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of ± 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. Demographic and regional quotas were used to ensure reliable and comparable sub-segment analysis, and the data was weighted by the most current gender, age, and region Census data to ensure the sample reflects the actual population of adult Canadians.

The study found that “homemaking” duties – childcare, assisting with homework, grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning –  continue to be largely executed by women. The prevalence of traditional household roles continues to act as an ongoing barrier to women’s careers, and this has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notably, women were more likely than men to feel guilty about not spending time with their children. Women were also more likely to feel stressed about juggling work and family responsibilities, leading them to be more likely to turn down jobs, overtime, and promotions – and, in some cases, leave the workforce entirely.

For the full report of the study findings, please visit The Prosperity Project.  

Concerned that people are not following safety protocols, most Ontarians fear second wave of COVID-19

August 31, 2020 – In our latest survey conducted on behalf of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division (CMHA Ontario), Pollara has found that eight-in-ten Ontarians are concerned about the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 (84%) and that such a resurgence would “put us back where we started” (85%).

Worries about the unsafe behaviour of others may be behind these concerns. Ontarians are concerned that other people are not following physical distancing guidelines (84%) and becoming too relaxed about COVID protocols too quickly (83%). Consequently, they are also concerned about coming in contact with people who are not taking the proper precautions (78%).

These are some of the findings from a new Pollara Strategic Insights survey conducted for CMHA Ontario from July 23 – August 2, 2020. The online survey was conducted amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=1,002 adult Ontarians. The dataset was weighted according to standard statistical techniques in order to ensure the sample accurately reflected the demographic and geographic distribution of Ontarians according to the most recent Census.  Online surveys are not officially assigned a margin of error.  A probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of +3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

As we saw in our May 2020 poll for CMHA Ontario, Ontarians continue to believe that the province may face a serious mental health crisis once the pandemic is over (66%; -3 since May). Only half (50%) feel confident that they would be able to find mental health supports for themselves or family members (if needed), but this represents a 6-point increase since May.

Among Ontario’s parents, nearly eight-in-ten are worried about their children contracting COVID-19 at school (78%) and infecting other household members (79%).  Two-thirds (64%) are concerned about their own anxiety about their children returning to in-class learning in September.

When it comes to education, 61% of parents are concerned COVID protocols will have a negative impact on learning. However, more than six-in-ten are also worried about their child’s motivation and productivity (67%) when learning remotely from home and their child’s ability to learn in the home environment, in general (63%).

For more findings from this survey, please see the article in the Toronto Star or visit the CMHA Ontario website.