TORONTO - Nearly half of Canadian workers feel safe in their jobs as the country begins to slowly recover from one of the worst recessions in history, a new poll suggests.
The Labour Day poll commissioned by online job search firm Monster.ca shows 46 per cent of Canadian workers feel they have more job security today than they did a year ago.
The feeling increased among public sector workers, with 53 per cent feeling secure with their employment compared with 42 per cent of private sector workers.
The survey of about 1,000 Canadians conducted by the Harris-Decima polling company and released Thursday, showed that 38 per cent of all workers felt less secure in their current employment compared to this time last year. At that time, the economy was starting to weaken ahead of the recession, which began in the 2008 October-December quarter.
The survey, conducted in mid-August, also found that 88 per cent of Canadians were satisfied with their current job situation.
Canadians living in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were the most secure in their jobs compared to the rest of the country, which is not surprising given that the recession was less severe in those provinces.
"Although we've seen daily reports of layoffs and plant closures, Canadians are feeling pretty good about how they make a living," said Peter Gilfillan, general manager of Monster Canada. "Anxiety levels seem to be going down, and that's really encouraging."
Besides providing fresh data on Canadian attitudes, such surveys are a popular promotional tool for Canadian companies, who use public opinion polls to gauge consumer thinking and to promote specific brands to ordinary Canadians. Banks and mutual fund companies have long used such surveys to make consumers aware of financial products and services and to learn more about the public's financial management habits.
Monster Canada spokesman Robert Waghorn said some workers may feel confident their job is secure because the company has already made any necessary cuts.
"Maybe their companies are so thin that people feel secure in their current positions," he said.
Canada's unemployment rate is now 8.6 per cent, but is expected to climb higher in the coming weeks and months as companies continue to adjust to new economic realities. Friday's unemployment report from Statistics Canada could see a continuation of workplaces losses that have already cost the Canadian economy more than 400,000 jobs since the recession began last fall.
While recovery in GDP growth is expected in the summer quarter, economists warn it could be a jobless recovery for a while until companies regain confidence and begin expanding their workforces likely in 2010 and 2011.
Some expect the unemployment rate to rise to more than nine per cent befor job growth in the economy resumes.
When asked what they consider the top job perk, 33 per cent of people surveyed said job security, followed by 31 per cent who said work/life balance. Fifteen per cent said a secure pension was a top job perk, while 12 per cent cited a generous salary. Of those surveyed, 30 per cent were in favour of capping vacations at three weeks.
The survey also looked more closely at the differences between public and private sector jobs, including whether government staff are overpaid.
Of those questioned, 64 per cent of private sector workers said government workers were overpaid. That compares to 39 per cent of public sector workers who felt that way.
"As for the level of compensation, Canadians aren't likely to agree on that any time soon," Gilfillan said of people who work in the public sector.
As well, 72 per cent of public sector workers said they do a lot of "paper pushing," a term used to describe mostly administrative work. The survey said 83 per cent of private sector workers agree.
The survey also asked Canadians how they felt about the B.C. government loaning some of its staff to work at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver next year. Of those surveyed, 59 per cent of people across Canada said they support the decision.
However, support was much lower in B.C., where 65 per cent said they oppose the move.
The poll questioned 1,009 Canadians, of which 548 are employed.
The results for the full sample are considered accurate by plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
