Poverty study shows precarious work in GTHA

A new report says a growing number of adult workers in the Toronto and Hamilton areas are going without stable paycheques and benefits.

McMaster University and United Way Toronto led the study, which found that four in 10 workers are trapped in or partly feeling the effects of so-called precarious employment, while the rest hold on to better permanent jobs.

The study also says the rate of workers found in such predicaments has jumped by almost 50 per cent in the past two decades.

Researchers say people who work in precarious employment scenarios tend to have fluctuating weekly incomes, lack funds to cover unexpected costs and see their work schedules change with little notice.

The findings say that the insecurity in income can be a factor in couples putting off having children and causes stress that interferes with personal and family life. It’s also linked with people having fewer close friends and less community engagement.