Canadian Survey on Working Conditions, 2024-2025
Released: 2026-01-16
Work environments and working conditions can have a notable impact on the well-being of Canadians. Workers may be exposed to physical and psychological risks, or they may face pressures that can impact their ability to achieve a good balance between their work and personal lives. In 2024-2025, more than half of workers (54.3%) were frequently exposed to ergonomic risk factors, such as repetitive hand or arm movements, and 17.0% reported doing unpaid work in their free time several times a month—that is, at times they were not originally scheduled to work.
Today, Statistics Canada releases the first results from the Canadian Survey on Working Conditions, a new survey that aims to better understand the working conditions of Canadians. It complements other sources, such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the LFS supplements, to provide a fuller picture of the quality of employment in Canada.
Risk of exposure to physical risks varies notably by occupation
Work environments can expose workers to different types of risks to their physical health. These include ambient risk factors (such as high and low temperatures and loud noises), biological and chemical risks (such as breathing in smoke and exposure to chemicals) and ergonomic risks (such as repetitive hand or arm movements and moving heavy loads).
In 2024-2025, ergonomic risks were the most common physical risk, and more than half of workers (54.3%) indicated that their job frequently involved such risks (half of the time or more over the previous 12 months). The occupations with the highest rates of frequent exposure to ergonomic risks were natural resources, agriculture and related production (74.9%), trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (74.5%) and manufacturing and utilities (73.2%).
Chart 1
Rates of frequent exposure to different physical risk factors by occupation, 2024-2025
Ambient physical risks were the second-most common type of physical risk, with 28.1% of workers reporting that they were frequently exposed to such risks. The proportion was well above this national average in occupations in manufacturing and utilities (65.0%), natural resources, agriculture and related production (64.9%) and trades, transport and equipment operators (64.7%).
Overall, almost one in five workers (17.8%) were frequently exposed to biological and chemical risks. However, this proportion reached 46.6% in health occupations. In contrast, proportionally fewer workers in occupations in business, finance and administration (4.4%), art, culture, recreation and sport (4.5%), and natural and applied sciences (5.5%) were regularly exposed to such risks.
Lower risk of exposure to physical risk factors among workers with a bachelor's degree or higher
The likelihood of being exposed to physical risks also varied according to the educational attainment of workers. In 2024-2025, having a bachelor's degree or higher was associated with the lowest probability of frequent exposure to ergonomic risks (41.9% compared with the average of 54.3%), ambient risks (15.1% compared with the average of 28.1%), and biological and chemical risks (10.4% compared with the average of 17.8%). Workers with a high school diploma or less were the most likely to have been frequently exposed to ergonomic (64.0%) and ambient (40.8%) risk factors. For biological and chemical risks, the rate of frequent exposure was similar for those with postsecondary education below a bachelor's degree (23.1%) and those with a high school diploma or less (21.7%).
A larger share of men than women were frequently exposed to ambient (35.9% compared with 19.5%) and biological and chemical (20.2% compared with 15.2%) risks. However, men (54.7%) and women (53.7%) were about as likely to report being frequently exposed to ergonomic risks.
More than one-third of health care workers regularly exposed to angry or dissatisfied clients or patients
Emotional demands at work can represent a distinct risk factor that can affect the psychological well-being of workers. In 2024-2025, 16.1% of workers had to frequently deal with angry or dissatisfied clients, patients, or students (at least half of the time during the previous 12 months). However, this proportion was 35.2% among workers in health occupations, more than double the overall figure for all occupations.
Overall, a larger share of women (20.1%) than men (12.5%) were in a job that involved frequently dealing with angry or dissatisfied clients. Further, youth aged 15 to 24 (22.1%) were more likely to have been frequently exposed to angry or dissatisfied clients than either core-aged workers (25 to 54 years old) (17.0%) or workers aged 55 to 69 (8.9%).
Over two in five men have workdays of more than 10 hours at least once a month
When a job involves long hours or working at unusual times, work can also affect the ability of workers to achieve a good balance between their work and their personal lives.
In 2024-2025, two-thirds of workers in natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (66.4%) usually worked over 10 hours a day at least once a month. Further, one-third (33.5%) of workers in this occupational category indicated having had less than 11 hours of rest between two workdays at least once over the previous month—the highest proportion among all occupations.
Men were more likely than women to have worked at night (22.3% compared with 14.5%) at least once a month or to have had workdays that exceeded 10 hours (43.3% compared with 25.1%) at least once a month.
Workers in management and professional occupations more likely to have tight deadlines and to work in their free time
Workers in management (all educational requirements) and in occupations requiring higher levels of education are more likely to experience time pressures that could affect their work-life balance.
In 2024-2025, half (50.2%) of workers in management reported frequently working to tight deadlines (half of the time or more during the previous 12 months), a proportion nearly 20 percentage points higher than the share observed among workers in jobs that usually require a high school diploma or less (31.6%).
Chart 2
Workers in management occupations most likely to work in their free time at least several times a month in order to meet job demands, 2024-2025
In addition, 34.6% of managers and 29.5% of workers employed in jobs that usually require a bachelor's degree or higher reported completing unpaid work in their free time several times a month or more to meet work demands. This share was lower among workers in jobs that usually require a college diploma or an apprenticeship (12.8%) or a high school diploma or less (6.0%).
Employees in professional, scientific and technical services have the greatest flexibility in determining their work schedules
Having access to a flexible schedule can help alleviate the negative impacts of time-related work pressures on work-life balance.
In 2024-2025, the majority (58.9%) of employees in Canada had their schedules set by their employer and 8.9% could choose between different fixed schedules. Over one-quarter (26.2%) were able to adapt their working hours within certain limits while 6.3% determined their working hours entirely by themselves.
Employees in the professional, scientific and technical services industry were the most likely (58.3%) to report being able to adapt their schedule or determine their own working hours. Conversely, employees in the business, building and other support services industry were the least likely (24.2%) to report being able to do so.
While the parents of young children can often benefit greatly from having flexible schedules, core-aged parents living with a child under 6 years old (33.7%) were about as likely to be in a job that allowed them to adapt or determine their own working hours as core-aged employees who did not live with children (32.7%).
Chart 3
Percentage of employees with flexible schedules by industry, 2024-2025
Most employees receive frequent support from their colleagues and their manager
Supportive co-workers can make it easier for employees to navigate a variety of different situations at work. While a majority of employees felt that their colleagues (79.5%) and their manager (73.6%) were usually supportive, this proportion varied by industry.
In 2024-2025, employees in construction (83.9%) and agriculture (83.8%) were most likely to indicate that their colleagues helped and supported them always or most of the time. Meanwhile, employees in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (80.8%) and in natural resources (79.9%) were most likely to report receiving frequent support from their manager.
In comparison, the proportion of employees with a manager who supported them most of the time or always was lowest in health care and social assistance (66.2%). Employees in transportation and warehousing also had a below-average rate of frequent support from their manager (67.9%) and were least likely to receive frequent support from their colleagues (71.4%).
In 2024-2025, the proportion of employees reporting that their colleagues provided frequent support was lower in several racialized groups, including Black (69.4%), Southeast Asian (70.7%) and Arab (72.3%) employees, compared with non-racialized, non-Indigenous employees (81.6%).
Black employees (66.2%) were also less likely to report receiving frequent support from their manager than non-racialized, non-Indigenous employees (74.0%).
Chart 4
Percentage of employees who feel supported always or most of the time, by racialized group, 2024-2025
A vast majority of workers in agriculture and construction have the feeling of doing useful work
Although many workers face challenging work environments, in 2024-2025 over four in five (81.9%) workers in Canada felt that they were doing useful work most of the time or always.
Workers in agriculture (92.3%) and construction (88.5%) were most likely to indicate that they had the feeling of doing useful work a majority of the time. The proportion was also above the national average in health care and social assistance (87.2%).
Looking ahead
The Canadian Survey on Working Conditions aims to measure the core dimensions of quality of employment—including working time and work-life balance, skills development and training, and physical and psychosocial risks—to better understand how different job characteristics are distributed across the employed population. Over the coming months, Statistics Canada will release additional reports which will explore in more detail specific dimensions of quality of employment.
Note to readers
The Canadian Survey on Working Conditions (CSWC) was collected from September 2024 to July 2025 over the course of four collection periods:
Wave 1: September 23, 2024, to October 18, 2024
Wave 2: December 16, 2024, to January 17, 2025
Wave 3: March 17, 2025, to April 17, 2025
Wave 4: June 23, 2025, to July 18, 2025
Data from the CSWC reflect an average over the reference periods associated with the four collection waves and are representative of the employed population aged 15 to 69 living in the provinces. Persons living on Indigenous reserves and other settlements, full-time members of the armed forces and unpaid family workers are excluded.
For more information on the survey methodology, see Surveys and statistical programs - Canadian Survey on Working Conditions (CSWC).
The questionnaire uses various reference periods. Most questions ask about the respondent's experience during the 12 months prior to the survey or their usual patterns of work.
Exposure to different physical risk factors at work is based on concepts developed by the European Foundation for Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound):
Ambient physical risk factors are defined as exposure to either: 1) vibrations from hand tools, machinery, 2) noise so loud that you would have to raise your voice to talk to people, 3) high temperatures which make you sweat even when not working, or 4) low temperatures whether indoors or outdoors.
Biological and chemical physical risk factors are defined as exposure to either: 1) breathing in smoke, fumes, powder or dust, 2) breathing in vapours such as solvents and thinners, 3) handling or being in skin contact with chemical products or hazardous substances, 4) handling or being in direct contact with materials which can be infectious, or 5) tobacco or cannabis smoke, or vape aerosol from other people.
Ergonomic risk factors are defined as exposure to either: 1) vibrations from hand tools, machinery, 2) lifting or moving people, 3) manually carrying, lifting or pushing heavy loads, 4) repetitive hand or arm movements for extended periods, or 5) working in awkward, tiring or painful positions.
Parents are defined as persons who live with their own child.
Working at night refers to working at least 2 hours between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM.
The CSWC estimates are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. The release focuses on results that are significant at the 95% confidence level.
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).
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