'Canadians are worried': new poll suggests cost of living crisis is bad...and getting worse
Canadians are expecting a rough economic ride in 2023, according to a new nationwide Pollara survey.
It shows that many in the country are concerned about the rising cost of living and their jobs -- and aren't very optimistic about what's on the horizon.
"We could sum it up with one word here, which is Canadians are 'worried,'" pollster Dan Arnold said. "They're worried about the economy and about their personal finances."
In fact, the group's annual economic outlook survey says this is the most concerned Canadians been since the financial crisis of 2008.
Economically speaking, that negativity is especially noticeable in certain areas.
"There's a very pessimistic outlook in Alberta, when people sort of zoom in on themselves and think about how their own personal finances are going," Arnold told CTV News.
Sixty per cent of Alberta respondents say they're falling behind the cost of living.
They say they're stressed about the current high prices of food, gas and housing.
Albertans also expressed worry about electricity costs in the province.
Twenty-six per cent expect job losses in the next 12 months.
"There is quite a bit of fear and uncertainty in employers, businesses, job-seekers and even those who are currently employed," About Staffing recruitment manager Cristina Schultz said.
And if economic forecasts are correct, a coming recession could make matters worse across the country -- even if it is projected to be less impactful in Alberta than in other provinces.
Recruiting companies say that uncertainty is reflected in the recent behaviour of the employers it works with.
"Businesses have hired and hired and the retention, sustainability and stability of that is really where a lot of these layoffs are going to manifest," Schultz said.
Pollara surveyed 4,020 Canadian adults online in December for the poll.
In Alberta, it has a margin of error of 4.7 per cent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.