Threads of change: Navigating Canada's social fabric in times of transformation

Released: 2025-10-29

From economic challenges to social connection and inclusion, society is changing. As the pace of these shifts seemingly increases, it is now more important than ever to leverage social statistics to understand how Canadians and their institutions are adapting.

Released today, the second special edition issue of Insights on Canadian Society focuses on Canadian society in a time of transformation, offering a pulse check on how individuals, communities and institutions are adapting to these changes as well as insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping our future.

Economic pressures and cross-border dynamics amid tariff-related trade uncertainty

In this interconnected global economy, decisions made in other countries can have measurable impacts on Canadians and the Canadian labour market. In the new study, "United States tariffs and Canadian labour market trends," data from the Labour Force Survey and the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours were used to examine the impacts of tariff-related trade uncertainty on the Canadian labour market. Findings revealed that of all the economic regions in Canada, in Windsor–Sarnia, a hub for Canadian auto manufacturing, the labour market impacts of disruptions to trade with the United States were most evident. The unemployment rate in this economic region increased to 10.0% in the third quarter of 2025, up 1.7 percentage points from one year earlier. When adjusting the unemployment rate in Canada to United States concepts, the study found that the unemployment rate in Canada (6.0%) was 1.7 percentage points higher than in the United States (4.3%) in August 2025, widening the gap between the two countries.

Social connection and inclusion continue to evolve

In times of change, social connectedness plays a crucial role, affecting individual well-being and community resilience. In the new study, "Community and well-being: Exploring sense of belonging among youth," data from the Canadian Social Survey were used to explore characteristics of youth who reported having a strong sense of belonging to their local community, as well as the relationship between a strong sense of belonging and other measures of well-being. Overall, youth aged 15 to 19 years had a stronger sense of belonging compared with youth aged 20 to 29 years, suggesting age-related developmental and contextual shifts during this period of life. The accompanying infographic, "Youth participation in groups, organizations or associations," expands on the study by examining how youth participation in groups, organizations or associations can help foster a strong sense of community belonging.

Feeling a strong sense of belonging to a community can be one of many reasons why individuals choose to relocate. For Indigenous Peoples who choose to migrate into or out of First Nations reserves, motivations for migration may also include access to education, employment opportunities, as well as family and housing considerations. The infographic, "Migration of Indigenous people to and from First Nations reserves, 2016 to 2021," uses data from the Census of Population to illustrate how migration into and out of reserves can affect population size and composition in First Nations communities. From 2016 to 2021, more Indigenous people aged 30 years and older migrated into a reserve than out of one, while a larger number of people younger than 30 years migrated out of a reserve than into one.

Sources of social connection for some, such as the workplace, may also create barriers to inclusion for others. The article, "Perceptions of labour market discrimination among persons with disabilities in Canada," used data from the Canadian Survey on Disability to explore perceived discrimination in the labour market among persons with disabilities in Canada, as well as the characteristics of those most likely to report experiencing discrimination. Among persons with disabilities, those with more severe disabilities, men, 2SLGBTQ+ and racialized people were more likely to perceive certain workplace discriminatory practices (i.e., being refused a job interview, being refused a job or being refused a promotion) than their respective counterparts.

Trends in police-reported drug crime may be a sign of shifting social patterns and cultural norms

Trends in police-reported drug crime may shed light on shifting social patterns and cultural norms. Using data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, the study, "Trends in police-reported drug crime in Canada," examined trends in drug offences over time, including possession, trafficking, importation and exportation, production and other crimes. The study found that after 12 consecutive years of decline, the rate of police-reported drug crime increased in 2024 to 128 incidents per 100,000 population, but it remained well below its historic peak of 330 incidents per 100,000 population recorded in 2011.

Products

The issue titled "Special edition, issue 2—Threads of change: Navigating Canada's social fabric in times of transformation" is now available in Insights on Canadian Society (Catalogue number75-006-X).

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).