One-in-three Canadian workers say they usually or always wonder if they will run out of money by the time payday rolls around, and this number jumps for Canadian women, according to the results of a CareerBuilder.ca survey released September 17.
The poll found 36% of women live paycheque-to-paycheque. By comparison, 25% of men report doing the same.
Thirty-four per cent of all workers in Canada say they have missed at least one payment in the past year. While 17% say they have missed payments on smaller bills, 3% say they have even missed payments on larger bills, including mortgages.
“Though the majority of workers feel more fiscally responsible since the recession, many are still struggling to make ends meet,” said Ryan Lazar, managing director of CareerBuilder Canada. “If workers are worried about their finances, it can lead to increased stress and anxiety.
“Because these financial worries can also begin to affect morale and productivity, employers may want to consider offering financial planning resources – such as complimentary webinars, classes or coaching sessions – to help employees ease their financial burdens.”
Most of those surveyed – 87% – say they have taken steps to make ends meet. Some of the most common ways they have done this are no longer eating out (45%), cutting back on leisure activities (44%) and using coupons or shopping at discount stores (41%).
Other ways Canadians have tried to keep their costs low are by driving less (24%) and cancelling cable TV and other subscriptions (21%).
One-in-five Canadians say they even took on a second job to meet the monthly bills.
But there are some things Canadians say they are not willing to give up, no matter how much they cost. For example, 56% say they will not cut their Internet connections, 38% will not give up their mobile devices and 36% say they will not stop driving.
