And laid-off workers more successful at regaining employment
Canadian workers were less likely to be laid off during the last economic recession than their counterparts during the two recessions in the early 1980s and 1990s, according to a recent report by Statistics Canada.
On a monthly basis, two per cent of employees were laid off temporarily or permanently between October 2008 and December 2010. This compares with 2.9 per cent during the early 1980s and 2.7 per cent in the early 1990s, found Statistics Canada.
Of all workers laid off between October 2008 and December 2010, 50 per cent found a paid job between one and four months after they were laid off. This compares with roughly 42 per cent during the two previous recessions.
The chances of being temporarily or permanently laid off were relatively high among young people aged 15 to 24, those with no university degree, workers with fewer than two years of seniority and those employed in the goods sector, found the report Workers Laid-off During the Last Three Recessions: Who Were They, and How Did They Fare?
The workers most likely to have found a job in the short-term had a university degree, more than five years of seniority and initially expected to be recalled.
The last recession was also of shorter duration in terms of employment. Total employment on a seasonally-adjusted basis took 27 months to return to its pre-downturn level. This compares with 53 months during the early 1990s and 40 months during the early 1980s, said Statistics Canada.
On average, employees who were laid off during the most recent downturn and who found a job in the short-term saw their average weekly wages drop from $734 to $703. Among these employees, one-quarter saw their weekly wages decline by 23 per cent or more, while another one-quarter saw increases in weekly pay of at least 18 per cent, according to the report.
