October 2004
Vol. 5, no. 10

Low wages need not mean economic hardship—for example, in the case of young people living with their parents or spouses who are secondary earners. However, some groups such as recent immigrants, lone mothers, and unattached individuals are at risk. Who were the low-wage earners in 2000, what proportion lived in low-income families, and how did the situation change between 1980 and 2000?

Given the large number of people nearing the traditional age of retirement, concerns have been expressed about the social and economic consequences of a mass exit from the labour force. If mandatory retirement policies were eliminated or if older workers were offered incentives such as part-time work or increased vacation leave, would they remain on the job?