Lifestyle Issues

• 81% Say Gap Between Poor and Rich in Metro Toronto is Widening
• 47% Say Metro Toronto Economy has Improved: Only 26% Say the Same for Their Family's Economic Situation
• Money or Vacation Time in Exchange for Overtime? Respondents Divided
• Only 21% Say Working Mothers Should be at Home to Raise Children
• Only 5% Bothered by Neighbours from a Different Culture

Toronto - A strong plurality (47%) say that the economy of Metro Toronto has improved over the last year or so, and a further 26 percent say it has stayed the same. On the homefront, fully half (50%) of respondents say that the economic situation for themselves and their family has stayed the same over the past year or so. One quarter (26%) feel their economic situation has improved, but almost as many (23%) say theirs has gotten worse. Furthermore, more than eight in ten (81%) agree that the gap between the rich and poor in Metro Toronto is growing. Other findings from the "Pulse of Toronto Poll - Lifestyle Issues" include:

• 48% agree that "if I had to work 10 hours of overtime, I'd rather have the 10 hours given back to me in vacation time than receive the money".
• 74% disagree that "mothers who work outside of the home should stay at home to raise their children".
• Only 5% say it would bother them to have next door neighbours who are visible from a different culture than themselves.

This CFRB / Angus Reid Group Poll was conducted by telephone between October 28th and 29th, 1997 among a representative cross-section of 400 Metro Toronto residents. With a sample of 400, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ±4.9 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Metro Toronto population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

The key findings of the "Pulse of Toronto Poll" are as follows:

The Gap Between the Rich and the Poor

A solid majority (81%) of Metro Toronto residents agree that "the gap between the rich and the poor in Metro Toronto is growing larger". Just over one in ten (13%) disagree with the statement (the remaining 6% "don't know"). (Table 1)

Most likely to agree that the gap is widening are:

• Those who feel the PC government has the province on the wrong track (88%).
• Respondents who would vote Liberal if a provincial election were held tomorrow (85%). Women (83%, versus 79% of men).
• Younger respondents: 83% of those aged 18 to 34, compared to 77% of those age 55 and over.
• Lower income respondents: 84% of those with an annual household income of less than $30K, compared to 79% of those with an income of at least $60K.

The Economy of Metro Toronto

A strong plurality (47%) say that the economy of Metro Toronto has improved over the last year or so, and a further 26 percent say it has stayed the same. One quarter (24%) feel the economy has gotten worse, and another 2 percent "don't know". (Table 2)

• Respondents who intend to vote PC in a provincial election (67%) are most likely to feel the economy has improved, along with those who feel the government has the province on the right track (65%).
• Men (51%) are more likely than women (44%) to cite an improvement in the Metro Toronto economy.
• 40% of those aged 18 to 34 say the economy has improved, compared to 52% of those aged 55 and over.
• Respondents with some post secondary education (53%) or a university degree (55%) are much more likely to feel the economy has improved than are those with a high school diploma or less (30%).
• 37% of those with an income of less than $30K say the government is on the right track, compared to a majority (61%) of those with an income of at least $60K.
• Most likely to feel the economy of Metro Toronto has gotten worse over that last year or so are those with a high school diploma or less (32%) and women (28%).

The Economic Situation of the Family

On the homefront, fully half (50%) of respondents say that the economic situation for themselves and their family has stayed the same over the past year or so. One quarter (26%) feel their economic situation has improved, but almost as many (23%) say theirs has gotten worse. (Table 3)

• Those with a household income of less than $30K (62%) and those aged 55 and over (58%) are most likely to say their economic situation has stayed the same.
• Most likely to report an improvement in their economic situation are men (32%, compared to 21% of women), respondents aged 18 to 34 (33%), those who intend to vote PC in a provincial election (37%), and those who feel the government has the province on the right track (37%).
• Most likely to report that their economic situation has gotten worse are women (28%), and those who feel the provincial government has the province on the wrong track (31%).

Overtime: Paid or Vacation Time?

A very slim plurality (48%) of respondents agree that "if I had to work 10 hours of overtime, I'd rather have the 10 hours given back to me in vacation time than receive the money". However, almost as many (44%) would prefer the money. The remaining eight percent "don't know" which option they prefer. (Table 4)

• Women (55%), respondents aged 35 to 54 (53%), and university graduates (53%) are most likely to prefer vacation time in exchange for overtime hours.
• Respondents aged 18 to 34 (55%), those with some post secondary education (53%) and men (49%) are more likely to prefer the money.

Should Mothers Stay at Home to Raise Their Children?

Three quarters (74%) of survey respondents do not agree that "mothers who work outside of the home should stay at home to raise their children". One in five (21%), however, feel that working mothers should be at home to raise their children. The remaining four percent "don't know". (Table 5)

Most likely to disagree with the statement (that mothers who work outside the home should stay at home to raise their children) are:

• Respondents aged 18 to 34 (83%)
• Those with a household income of at least $60K (82%)
• Respondents who would vote Liberal in a provincial election (80%)
• Respondents with some post secondary education (80%)
• Women (78%, versus 71% of men)

  Interestingly, the responses from those who have children under the age of eighteen are identical to those who do not.

Neighbours From a Different Culture

A mere 5% of respondents agree with the following statement: "It would bother me to have next door neighbours who are visibly from a different culture than myself." An overwhelming majority of 95 percent disagree with the statement. (Table 6)

Only among respondents with a household income of less that $30K (88%) do fewer than nine in ten disagree with the statement. In fact, in all other respondent groups, at least 93 percent disagree with the statement.

This CFRB / Angus Reid Group Poll was conducted by telephone between October 28th and 29th, 1997 among a representative cross-section of 400 Metro Toronto residents.

These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Metro Toronto adult population according to the 1991 and 1996 Census data.

With a sample of 400, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ±4.9 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Metro Toronto population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Angus Reid Group, Inc.
(416) 324-2900