Toronto - What a difference a year makes. Canadians are feeling more relaxed this Labour Day, with well over half saying they are more secure in their jobs now compared to a year ago, according to the second annual Labour Day poll by Monster.ca.

The survey of just over a 1000 Canadians conducted by Harris/Decima, found 57 per cent of Canadians feel they have more job security today than they did a year ago; 29 per cent feel less secure. This is a significant increase from a year ago, when just 46 per cent of those surveyed by Monster said they felt more secure in their jobs, and 38 percent less secure.

“We’re seeing much higher comfort levels than we did a year ago,” said Peter Gilfillan, Senior Vice President of International Sales and General Manager of Monster Canada. “Canadians are feeling more secure, and they like their jobs, although many are still a little uneasy about the economy.”

Job Security Levels Way Up Ontario

·        Canadians living in Manitoba and Saskatchewan enjoy the highest feeling of job security at 69 per cent.

·        Ontario saw the biggest improvement in job security. As many as 55 per cent of Ontarians say they are more confident in their job security this year compared to 41 per cent who said the same last Labour Day.

·        Across the rest of the country, 63 per cent of Quebecers, 56 per cent of Albertans, 54 per cent of people living in Atlantic Canada, and 52 per cent of those in B.C. feel more secure about their jobs now than they did a year ago.

The biggest risk to Canadians’ sunny sentiment this Labour Day is the fear of recession. Almost 1 in 2 Canadians (46 per cent) think Canada will slide into another recession next year, while 47 per cent are more hopeful.

The fear factor is highest in Ontario and B.C. at 52 per cent and the lowest in Manitoba and Saskatchewan where only 35 per cent are worried about another recession.

Whine of the Times

The economy has picked up, but so has the whining from a generation of younger workers.  A majority, (69 per cent) of workers aged 18 to 24 say single people are more likely to be asked to work nights and weekends than married people. However, more than half of married people surveyed say they do not feel employers discriminate against single or childless people in either formal or informal ways.

“Work-life balance is becoming priority one for more Canadians,” said John Kervin, Sociology Professor at the University of Toronto. “But there’s a price, and it seems young, single workers may be the ones paying it by picking up the slack.”

Balance the Biggest Pay Off

Canadians across all income brackets put a high price on work-life balance. The vast majority of Canadians, 82 per cent, say they’d take a pay cut to guarantee a job with work-life balance. When Canadians were asked what’s most important in their job, one in three (34 per cent) said work-life balance is most important.

From August 5^th through August 9^th 2010 , Harris/Decima surveyed 1,008 Canadians, of which 539 are employed. 

The survey results are  considered accurate +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. To view all of the survey results go to http://www.monster.ca/.