Most Current Research on Social Change in Canada

Most Current Research on Social Change in Canada

The Philippine Reporter believes that research matters. Hence, it is publishing information on some of the latest research gems significant to everyone.
These studies are lifted from the SPAR (Social Policy Analysis and Research) Monitor, an inventory of recent social research information relevant to social policy. — Editors

This bulletin is a quick inventory of recent social research information. Its purpose is to promptly disseminate the most current external and internal research relevant to social policy. It is published by City of Toronto’s Social Development, Finance and Aministration Division.

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2011 Census: Toronto Languages Backgrounder, City of Toronto, October 25th 2012.

On October 25, 2012, Statistics Canada released its fourth set of data from the 2011 Census on the language characteristics of Canadians. The population of Toronto in 2011 was 2,615,060, an increase of 4.5% since 2006. The data are not adjusted for undercoverage.

• 45% of Toronto residents had a mother tongue other than English or French

• Statistics Canada has identified about 160 mother tongues in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area

• 28% of people in Toronto regularly spoke a language other than English or French at home (down from the 2006 figure of 31%)

• Chinese languages, Tamil, Spanish, Tagalog, and Italian were the top non-English languages spoken at home.

For link to the Backgrounder:
http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/pdf/language_2011_backgrounder.pdf

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Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians: Language, 2011 Census of Population, Statistics Canada, October 24, 2012.

More than 200 languages were reported in the 2011 Census of Population as a home language or mother tongue. One-fifth of Canada’s population, or nearly 6,630,000 people, spoke a language other than English or French at home in 2011, either alone or in some combination with English or French.

Some of the Highlights:

• More than 200 languages were reported in the 2011 Census of Population as a home language or mother tongue

• The number of persons who reported speaking Tagalog, a Philippine-based language, most often at home increased the most (+64%) between 2006 and 2011

• In 2011, 17.5% of the Canadian population, or 5.8 million persons, reported speaking at least two languages at home

• While 20.6% of Canadians reported a mother tongue other than English or French, only 6.2% of Canadians spoke a language other than English or French as their sole home language

• In 2011, 63.5% of the population whose mother tongue was neither English nor French reported speaking English at home

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The Job Search of the Older Unemployed by André Bernard, Perspectives on Labour and Income, August 22, 2012.

This article examines the job-search behaviour of the older unemployed by comparing it with that of their younger counterparts, using data from the Employment Insurance Coverage Survey from 2006 to 2010. It looks at age differences in the number of hours spent looking for work and the methods used.

Some of the highlights:

• The unemployed age 55 to 64 spent an average of 13 hours per week looking for work. This is similar to the amount of time spent by those age 20 to 34

• Older job seekers are less inclined to contact an employer directly and use the Internet, but they are more likely to have mainly looked at job ads

• The probability of the unemployed age 55 to 64 looking for work outside their community was 39%, compared with 43% for those 20 to 34

• Among the unemployed age 55 to 64, the probability of being prepared to accept such job offers was 81%, compared with 69% for those 20 to 34

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Youth Employment and Un(der) Employment in Canada: More Than a Temporary Problem?
Karen Foster, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, October 2012.

This report looks at trends in youth employment, and finds that one of the most troubling narratives to emerge from the economic downturn of 2007–08 revolved around the effect of recessed global and local economies on young workers. According to the report, young workers are more likely to be unemployed or precariously employed in non-permanent jobs—and regardless of whether they have post-secondary qualifications, these young workers will likely endure the negative effects of un- and underemployment for years to come.

• Although worldwide youth unemployment has risen dramatically over the last decade, compared to other OECD countries Canada’s rate of youth unemployment continues to be relatively low

• The unemployment rate for Canadians aged 15–24 has grown — from 12.9% in 2001 to 14.1% in 2011

• Young people employed in jobs that are low-wage, non-unionized, temporary and/or part-time, which rarely offer additional benefits

• The proportion of young employees working non-permanent jobs has nearly doubled, from 6.9% in 1997 to 11.6% in 2011.