Labour Market and Socio-economic Indicators – October/December 2025

From October-December 2025, the following questions measuring the Labour Market and Socio-economic Indicators were added to the Labour Force Survey as a supplement.

The purpose of this survey is to identify changing dynamics within the Canadian labour market, and measure important socio-economic indicators by gathering data on topics such as type of employment, quality of employment, support payments and unmet health care needs.

Questionnaire flow within the collection application is controlled dynamically based on responses provided throughout the survey. Therefore, some respondents will not receive all questions, and there is a small chance that some households will not receive any questions at all. This is based on their answers to certain LFS questions.

Labour Market and Socio-economic Indicators

ENTRY_Q01 / EQ 1 - From the following list, please select the household member that will be completing this questionnaire on behalf of the entire household.
Employee block

The following questions test a new way of measuring temporary employment. Some questions address topics that were previously covered by the Labour Force Survey, but in a slightly different way.

LMI_Q01 / EQ 2 - What type of contract or agreement do you have in your main job?
Is it:

  1. Permanent or until retirement
  2. Ongoing with no specified end date
    Exclude temporary or seasonal contracts that are regularly renewed.
  3. For a specific duration
    e.g., seasonal, term
    Include temporary or seasonal contracts that are regularly renewed.
  4. Until a task or project is completed

LMI_Q02 / EQ 3 - Which of the following currently applies to your main job?

  1. It is a seasonal job
    e.g., you only work during a specific season
  2. You worked as an apprentice, trainee or intern in that job
    e.g., electrician apprentice, nursing trainee, police cadet, marketing intern, etc.
    OR
  3. None of the above

LMI_Q03 / EQ 4 – In your main job, are you paid by a private employment or placement agency that is different from the company or organization you work for?

  1. Yes, paid by a private placement agency
  2. No

LMI_Q04 / EQ 5 - What is the total duration of your contract or agreement in your main job?
Is it:

  1. Less than 3 months
  2. From 3 months to less than 6 months
  3. From 6 months to less than 12 months
  4. 12 months or longer
    OR
  5. Casual job with no specific end date

LMI_Q05 / EQ 6 - In your main job, do you have a specific number of hours you are supposed to work?

  1. Yes
  2. No

HRS_Q01 / EQ 7 – Are you at least guaranteed that you will get some work or hours in your main job?

Would you say:

  1. Yes
  2. No minimum number of hours guaranteed, contacted when needed

LMI_Q06 / EQ 8 - What would you say best describes your current situation in your main job?
You:

  1. Work based on a series of successive contracts with the same employer
    e.g., your employer renews your contract
    Include situations with short breaks between contracts
  2. Have a casual job with an employer that lets you choose when you work
    e.g., can decide which days or shifts you work.
  3. Only work when called-in or assigned a shift by your employer
  4. Work based on a series of successive contracts with different employers
    Include situations with short breaks between contracts
  5. Work as a day labourer
    e.g., hired and paid by the day or for a single shift
  6. Have received a permanent job offer
  7. Will return to school or do something else at the end of your contract
  8. re uncertain about your future contract situation
  9. None of these

REAT_Q01 / EQ 9 – Do you want a permanent job at this time?

  1. Yes
  2. No

REAT_Q02 / EQ 10 - What is the main reason why you do not want a permanent job?
Would you say:

  1. To combine employment with education
  2. To combine employment with a pension
  3. To combine employment with caring for children
  4. To combine employment with other family or care responsibilities
  5. Other reason

Self-employed block
You mentioned earlier that you are self-employed in your main job. The following section of the survey will refer to this as your main business.

LMI_Q07 / EQ 11 - What is the main reason why you are self-employed in your main job?
Is it:

  1. To have autonomy and control over work hours, wage rate or location
  2. Unable to find work as an employee
  3. To earn more money than you would as an employee/ To earn extra money
  4. To engage in work that you are passionate about
  5. Lost job as an employee
  6. To practice or master a new skill
  7. To work in your field of expertise
  8. To join or take over a family business
  9. To achieve a better work-life balance
  10. To experience less stress or for health reasons
  11. Other

LMI_Q08 / EQ 12 – Do you have any partners or co-owners in your main business?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LMI_Q09 / EQ 13 – Do you own or lease a building or space dedicated to your main business?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LMI_Q10 / EQ 14 - In your main business, are you required to belong to a professional association or regulatory college to do your job?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LMI_Q11 / EQ 15 - Does your main business operate…?

  1. All year round
  2. During most of the year
  3. During a specific season
  4. Intermittently

EMP_Q01 / EQ 16 - How many employees in total work at your business?

  1. 5 or less
  2. 6 to 20
  3. 20 to 99
  4. 100 to 500
  5. Over 500

LMI_Q12 / EQ 17 - What is the current mix of clients in your main business?
Is your main business:

  1. Mostly based on getting new clients
  2. Based on an equal mix of new and returning clients
  3. Mostly based on returning clients
  4. Based on a single client
  5. OR
  6. Your main business has not had any clients yet

LMI_Q13 / EQ 18 - Would you be able to continue operating your main business for the next five years based on returning or existing clients alone?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LMI_Q14 / EQ 19 - To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
In normal times, it is easy for you to find new clients in your main business.

  1. Strongly agree
  2. Agree
  3. Neither agree nor disagree
  4. Disagree
  5. Strongly disagree

CLI_Q01 / EQ 20 – Do you currently have contracts with any of the following types of clients in your main business?

  Yes No
Private businesses    
Non-profit organizations or charities    
Government agencies or departments    
Private individuals    

LMI_Q16 / EQ 21 – Thinking of your largest contract, what is the total duration of that contract?

Is it:

  1. Less than 3 months
  2. From 3 months to less than 6 months
  3. From 6 months to less than 12 months
  4. 12 months or longer

LMI_Q17 / EQ 22 - During the last 12 months, did you have any full days with no clients or work in your main business even though you wanted to work?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LMI_Q18 / EQ 23 - What would you say is your plan with your main business over the next 12 months?

Do you plan to:

  1. Expand and hire more employees
  2. Expand without hiring more employees
  3. Keep things about the same
  4. Scale-down the business
  5. Stop working or close the business

LMI_Q19 / EQ 24 - What is the main reason why you expect to stop working or close your main business?

  1. Low sales
  2. Clients pay late or do not pay
  3. Excess debt
  4. Issues with suppliers
  5. Lack of access to financing
  6. Other business reasons
  7. To accept a job with more income
  8. To accept a job with more benefits
  9. Attending school
  10. Family responsibilities
  11. Retirement
  12. Health
  13. Other personal reasons
  14. Other

LFI_CHECK1 / EQ 25 - Last week, did you work at a job or business?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LFI_CHECK2 / EQ 26 - Last week, did you have a job or business from which you were absent?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LFI_CHECK3 / EQ 27 - Did you have more than one job or business last week?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LFI_CHECK4 / EQ 28 - Was this because you changed employers?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LFI_CHECK5 / EQ 29 - Have you ever worked at a job or business?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LFI_CHECK6 / EQ 30 - When did you last work?

  • Year:
  • Month:

LMI_Q20 / EQ 31 - Excluding your main job or business, have you earned any money by freelancing, doing a paid gig, or completing a short-term job or task during the last 12 months?

  1. Yes
  2. No

LMI_Q21 / EQ 32 - Was this freelancing, paid gig, or short-term task or job one of the jobs you had last week, or something else entirely?

  1. Yes, one of the jobs or businesses you had last week
  2. No, it was something else

EMP_Q02 / EQ 33 - Were you paid as an employee when you freelanced, did a paid gig, or got paid to do a short-term task or job in the last 12 months?

  1. Yes, only as an employee
  2. Yes, both as an employee and as a self-employed worker
  3. No, only as a self-employed worker

LMI_Q24 / EQ 34 - When was the last time you freelanced, did a paid gig, or got paid to do a short-term task or job?

  1. Last week or after
  2. In the last 3 months, but before last week
  3. In the last 3 to 6 months
  4. In the last 6 to 12 months

SCC1_Q05 / EQ 35 - In the last 12 months, did you receive support payments from a former spouse or partner?

  1. Yes
  2. No

SCC1_Q10 / EQ 36 - What is your best estimate of the amount of support payments you received in the last 12 months?

SCC2_Q05 / EQ 37 - In the last 12 months, did you make support payments to a former spouse or partner?

  1. Yes
  2. No

SCC2_Q10 / EQ 38 - What is your best estimate of the total amount you paid in support payments in the last 12 months?

SCC3_Q05 / EQ 39 - In the last 12 months, did you pay for child care, so that you could work at a paid job?

  1. Yes
  2. No

SCC3_Q10 / EQ 40 - What is your best estimate, of the total amount you paid for child care in the last 12 months?

DSQ_Q01 / EQ 41 – Do you have any difficulty seeing?

  1. No
  2. Sometimes
  3. Often
  4. Always
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q02 / EQ 42 – Do you wear glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q03 / EQ 43 - With your glasses or contact lenses, which of the following best describes your ability to see?

  1. No difficulty seeing
  2. Some difficulty seeing
  3. A lot of difficulty seeing
  4. you are legally blind
  5. you are blind
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q04 / EQ 44 - How often does this difficulty seeing/seeing condition limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q05 / EQ 45 – Do you have any difficulty hearing?

  1. No
  2. Sometimes
  3. Often
  4. Always
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q06 / EQ 46 – Do you use a hearing aid or cochlear implant?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q07 / EQ 47 - With your hearing aid or cochlear implant, which of the following best describes your ability to hear?

  1. No difficulty hearing
  2. Some difficulty hearing
  3. A lot of difficulty hearing
  4. You cannot hear at all
  5. You are Deaf
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q08 / EQ 48 - How often does this difficulty hearing/hearing condition limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q09 / EQ 49 – Do you have any difficulty walking, using stairs, using your hands or fingers or doing other physical activities?

  1. No
  2. Sometimes
  3. Often
  4. Always
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q10 / EQ 50 - How much difficulty do you have walking on a flat surface for 15 minutes without resting?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do at all
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q11 / EQ 51 - How much difficulty do you have walking up or down a flight of stairs, about 12 steps without resting?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do at all
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q12 / EQ 52 - How often does this difficulty walking limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q13 / EQ 53 - How much difficulty do you have bending down and picking up an object from the floor?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do at all
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q14 / EQ 54 - How much difficulty do you have reaching in any direction, for example, above your head?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do at all
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q15 / EQ 55 - How often does this difficulty bending down and picking up an object limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q16 / EQ 56 - How much difficulty do you have using your fingers to grasp small objects like a pencil or scissors?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do at all
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q17 / EQ 57 - How often does this difficulty using your fingers limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q18 / EQ 58 - Do you have pain that is always present?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q19 / EQ 59 – Do you also have periods of pain that reoccur from time to time?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q20 / EQ 60 - How often does this pain limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q21 / EQ 61 - When you are experiencing this pain, how much difficulty do you have with your daily activities?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do at all
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q22 / EQ 62 – Do you have any difficulty learning, remembering or concentrating?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q23 / EQ 63 - Do you think you have a condition that makes it difficult in general for you to learn? This may include learning disabilities such as dyslexia, hyperactivity, attention problems, etc.

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q24 / EQ 64 - Has a teacher, doctor or other health care professional ever said that you had a learning disability?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q25 / EQ 65 - How often are your daily activities limited by this condition?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q26 / EQ 66 - How much difficulty do you have with your daily activities because of this condition?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do most activities
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q27 / EQ 67 - Has a doctor, psychologist or other health care professional ever said that you had a developmental disability or disorder? This may include Down syndrome, autism, Asperger syndrome, mental impairment due to lack of oxygen at birth, etc.

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q28 / EQ 68 - How often are your daily activities limited by this condition?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q29 / EQ 69 - How much difficulty do you have with your daily activities because of this condition?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do most activities
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q30 / EQ 70 – Do you have any ongoing memory problems or periods of confusion?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q31 / EQ 71 - How often are your daily activities limited by this problem?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q32 / EQ 72 - How much difficulty do you have with your daily activities because of this problem?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do most activities
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q33 / EQ 73 – Do you have any emotional, psychological or mental health conditions?

  1. No
  2. Sometimes
  3. Often
  4. Always
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q34 / EQ 74 - How often are your daily activities limited by this condition?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q35 / EQ 75 - When you are experiencing this condition, how much difficulty do you have with your daily activities?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do most activities
  5. Don't know

DSQ_Q36 / EQ 76 – Do you have any other health problem or long-term condition that has lasted or is expected to last for six months or more?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q37 / EQ 77 - How often does this health problem or long-term condition limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q38 / EQ 78 – Do you have pain that is always present?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q39 / EQ 79 - Do you also have periods of pain that reoccur from time to time?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don't know

DSQ_Q40 / EQ 80 - How often does this pain limit your daily activities?

  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
  6. Don't know

DSQ_Q41 / EQ 81 - When you are experiencing this pain, how much difficulty do you have with your daily activities?

  1. No difficulty
  2. Some difficulty
  3. A lot of difficulty
  4. You cannot do most activities
  5. Don't know

UCN_Q005 / EQ 82 - During the past 12 months, was there ever a time when you felt that you needed health care, other than homecare services, but you did not receive it?

  1. Yes
  2. No

UCN_Q010 / EQ 83 - Thinking of the most recent time you felt this way, why didn't you get care?

  1. Care not available in the area
  2. Care not available at time required (e.g. doctor busy, away from office or no longer at that practice, inconvenient hours)
  3. Do not have a regular health care provider
  4. Waiting time too long
  5. Appointment was cancelled
  6. Felt would receive inadequate care
  7. Cost
  8. Decided not to seek care
  9. Doctor didn't think it was necessary
  10. Transportation issue
  11. Other

UCN_Q015 / EQ 84 - Again, thinking of the most recent time, what was the type of care that was needed?

  1. Treatment of a chronic physical health condition diagnosed by a health professional
  2. Treatment of a chronic mental health condition diagnosed by a health professional
  3. Treatment of an acute infectious disease (e.g. cold, flu and stomach flu)
  4. Treatment of an acute physical condition (non-infectious)
  5. Treatment of an acute mental health condition (e.g. acute stress reaction)
  6. A regular check-up (including pre-natal care)
  7. Care of an injury
  8. Dental care
  9. Medication / Prescription refill
  10. Other

UCN_Q020 / EQ 85 - Did you actively try to obtain the health care that was needed?

  1. Yes
  2. No

UCN_Q025 / EQ 86 - Where did you try to get the service you were seeking?

  1. A doctor's office
  2. A hospital outpatient clinic
  3. A community health centre
  4. A walk-in clinic
  5. An emergency department or emergency room
  6. Other
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