Two in Three (65%) Canadians Say They Were Impacted By Sluggish Economic Recovery in 2010

Toronto, ON - An equal proportion of Canadians say they were impacted by the slow economic recovery in 2010 as were impacted by the economic recession in 2009, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global Television. These data suggest that Canadians are still feeling the impact of the recession that began roughly two years ago, and the official end of the recession hasn't made much difference to its impact on the average Canadian.

Thinking back over this past year, three quarters (65%) of Canadians say that the sluggish economic recovery affected them either `a lot' (23%) or `somewhat' (42%). Just one in three (35%) say they were `not really' (26%) or `not at all' (9%) affected by the sluggish economy.

In fact, at the end of 2009, just 17% of Canadians said that the recession that ended in 2009 impacted them `a lot' (18%), while nearly one half (47%) said it affected them `somewhat'. The exact same proportions said that they were `not really' (26%) affected or `not at all' (9%).

Thinking of the sluggish recovery in 2010, Canadians aged 35 to 54 are most likely (68%) to say that they were at least somewhat impacted by the slow recovery, followed by those aged 18 to 34 (65%) and 55 and older (61%). Those with kids (74%) were also more likely to say they were impacted than those without kids (63%).

Residents of British Columbia (72%) were the most likely to say they were at least somewhat affected by the sluggish recovery, followed by Canadians living in Quebec (66%), Ontario (66%), Alberta (65%), Atlantic Canada (56%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (48%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 9 and 14, 2010, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,044 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.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid 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.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2009, Ipsos generated global revenues of e943.7 million ($1.33 billion U.S.).

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