It’s More than Poverty - Employment Precarity and Household Well-being

<i>It’s More than Poverty</i> expands the discussion of the social consequences of Canada’s polarizing income distribution by examining the effects of precarious employment on people’s lives. It explores how employment precarity and income together shape social outcomes. Precarity has real implications for economic well-being and job security of workers. But it also reaches out and touches family and social life. It can affect how people socialize, and how much they give back to their communities. It causes tensions at home. The <i>It’s More than Poverty</i> report puts a special focus on how precarious employment affects household well-being and community connections. The report shows that employment insecurity has an independent effect on household well-being and community connections, regardless of income. That said, the study demonstrates how precarity greatly magnifies the difficulties of supporting a household on a low income. We argue that the social effects of precarity are a concern for Canadians at all income levels.

Publication Date: 
2013