Majority (65%) Says they were at Least Somewhat Affected by the Recession, But Three Quarters (73%) `Optimistic' That 2010 Will Be a Good Year for Creating Jobs and Getting People Back to Work

Toronto, ON- 2009 was a tough year for many Canadians, with job losses mounting, investments falling in value and a new-found sense of frugality. In fact, a new Ipsos Reid poll found that a majority (65%) of Canadians said that the economy affected them either `a lot' (18%) or `somewhat' (47%). Conversely, just one in three (35%) indicate the economy didn't really affect them (26%), or not at all (9%).

Further, one in ten (14%) Canadians say that they personally lost their job in 2009, and an equal proportion (14%) says someone else in their household lost their job. It appears that, by the end of the year, some of those job losses might have been mitigated, with 14% indicating that they got a job in 2009.

Looking ahead to next year, three quarters (73%) `agree' (12% strongly/61% somewhat) that they are `optimistic that 2010 will be a good year for creating jobs and getting people back to work'. Just one quarter (27%) `disagree' (4% strongly/23% somewhat) with this sense of optimism.

Thinking about their own personal finances, two in three (67%) `agree' (13% strongly/54% somewhat) that their `personal economic outlook for 2010 is bright', while one in three (33%) `disagree' (6% strongly/27% somewhat) that their personal outlook is bright.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on December 9th and 10th, 2009, on behalf of Canwest News Service and Global National. For this survey, a national sample of 1,038 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

Recession had Greater Impact on Some than Others...

Two in ten (18%) Canadians, overall, say that the recession affected them `a lot'. But an examination of the data reveals that some Canadians are considerably more likely than others to indicate that this was the case:

• Albertans (28%), British Columbians (21%) and Ontarians (21%) are the most likely to indicate that the recession affected them a lot, while fewer Atlantic Canadians (18%), Quebecers (11%) and residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (7%) say the same.
• Those whose family earns less than $30K a year (26%) are more likely than those who earn between $25K and $50K (18%) or over $60K (15%) to say the recession impacted them a lot.
• Interestingly, women (21%) are more likely than men (15%) to say the recession impacted them a lot.
• Middle-aged Canadians (23%) are more likely than those older (15%) or younger (15%) to say that they were affected a lot by the recession.

Outlook for 2010 is Optimistic...

Three quarters (73%) of Canadians agree that they're optimistic that 2010 will be a good year for creating jobs and putting people back to work. Just 27% disagree with this assessment:

• Atlantic Canadians (81%) are the most likely to agree that they're optimistic that 2010 will be a good year for creating jobs, followed by those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (79%), Quebec (74%), British Columbia (74%), Alberta (73%) and Ontario (69%).

Two in three (67%) agree that their personal economic outlook for 2010 is bright, while one in three (33%) disagree that their own personal outlook is bright:

• Residents of Saskatchean and Manitoba (72%) are most likely to say their outlook for 2010 is bright, followed by those living in Atlantic Canada (69%), Quebec (68%), British Columbia (67%), Alberta (67%), and Ontario (64%).
• Men (74%) are more likely than women (60%) to agree that their personal economic outlook for 2010 is bright.
• Those aged 55 and older (70%) are slightly more likely than those aged 54 and under (65%) to say their personal outlook for 2010 looks bright.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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