Making Up Time: The Pandemic’s Impact on Young Adults in Canada

A report from the Survey on Employment and Skills (3rd wave)

This report explores the experiences during the pandemic of younger adults, defined as those between the ages of 18 and 34. It documents, not only the extent to which Canadian youth as a whole have been especially hard hit economically by the pandemic, but also how specific groups of youth – notably Indigenous youth, Black youth, youth with a disability, youth without a postsecondary education, and recent postsecondary graduates – have each encountered particular challenges.

Survey Details

The Survey on Employment and Skills is conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with the Future Skills Centre and the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University.

The third wave of the study consists of a survey of 5,913 Canadians age 18 and over, conducted between June 1 and June 28, 2021, in all provinces and territories. It was conducted both online (in the provinces) and by telephone (in the territories).

Funder

The Survey on Employment and Skills is funded primarily by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre / Le sondage sur l’emploi et les compétences est financé principalement par le Centre des Compétences futures du gouvernement du Canada.

Text reads: “Funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program.” To the right is the word Canada with a small Canadian flag above the last a, highlighting how perceptions of trades training are gaining traction over university.

Temps de rattrapage : L’impact de la pandémie chez les jeunes adultes au Canada

Le présent rapport explore les expériences vécues pendant la pandémie par les jeunes adultes, que l’on définit comme étant les personnes âgées de 18 à 34 ans. On y fait état non seulement de l’ampleur des répercussions économiques de la pandémie sur l’ensemble des jeunes adultes au Canada, mais également de la façon dont certains groupes spécifiques de jeunes adultes ont dû faire face à des défis particuliers. Parmi ces groupes, on retrouve notamment les jeunes adultes autochtones, les jeunes adultes noir. e. s et les jeunes adultes vivant avec un handicap, sans formation postsecondaire ou ayant récemment obtenu un diplôme d’études postsecondaires.

L’enquête sur l’emploi et les compétences est menée par l’initiative d’Environics Institute for Survey Research en partenariat avec le Centre des Compétences futures et le Diversity Institute de la Toronto Metropolitan University.

La troisième vague consiste en un sondage mené auprès de 5 913 Canadiens et Canadiennes âgé.e.s de 18 ans et plus, et ce, entre le 1er et le 28 juin 2021 dans l’ensemble des provinces et territoires. Il a été mené en ligne (dans les provinces) et par téléphone (dans les territoires). Elle a été menée à la fois en ligne (dans les provinces) et par téléphone (dans les territoires).

Illustration with a green clipboard, black briefcase, and pink speech bubble next to bold black text: Survey on Employment & Skills. Explores perceptions of trades training gaining traction over university on a light background.

The Survey on Employment and Skills is conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Future Skills Centre.

View this series

Related reading

Cover of the 2019 Survey of Canadians from Confederation of Tomorrow, featuring a red title and maple leaf design, with the text Making Federalism Work: Leadership, Trust & Collaboration highlighted prominently.

Making Federalism Work

This report focuses on the ways in which the country’s federal, provincial and territorial governments should work together as federal partners to address key issues.

A graphic with a black maple leaf tree logo and the words “confederation of tomorrow.” Below, red and black text reads: All in this Together? Canadians’ Views on Masks, Vaccines and Lockdowns during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Faint map background.

All in this Together?

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to limit the spread of the virus continue to depend in large part on the willingness of citizens to modify their behaviours to conform with public health guidelines, notably those relating to physical distancing and wearing masks.

A man wearing safety goggles and a safety vest stands as a reminder of frontline workers impacted by widening inequality: effects of the pandemic on jobs and income are visible in every workplace.

Widening inequality

This report from Wave 2 of the Survey on Employment and Skills examines the overall impact of the pandemic, as well as more specific experiences such as loss of hours of work, loss of employment or loss of income.

Environics Institute for Survey Research

701-33 Bloor Street East
Toronto, ON M4W 3H1

info@environicsinstitute.org

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