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Description:

Statistics Canada introduced its Low Income Measure (LIM) in 1991 as a complement to its Low Income Cut-Offs (LICOs). The Low Income Measure (LIM) is a dollar threshold that delineates low-income in relation to the median income and different versions of this measure are in wide use internationally. Over the intervening 25 years there have been a number of useful methodological and conceptual developments in the area of low income measurement. To make the Canadian LIM methodology consistent with international norms and practices, a revision of the Statistics Canada LIM methodology appears desirable.

This paper describes three modifications to the LIM that Statistics Canada plans to introduce in 2010: replacing the economic family by household; replacing the current LIM equivalence scale by the square root of household size; and taking household size into consideration in determining the low-income thresholds. The paper explains the rationale behind each modification and demonstrates the impacts the revisions will have on low-income statistics in comparison with those under the existing LIM. Overall the revisions do not have any significant effect on broad historic trends in low-income statistics in Canada. However, compared to the existing LIM the revised LIM produces lower estimates of low-income incidence for certain groups of individuals such as unattached non-elderly individuals.

Description:

This study assesses the existing LICO, LIM, and MBM lines, together with a fixed LIM, by using several distribution sensitive indexes. We found that the low income lines tracked each other well in the long-run. But, in the short-run, they often behaved differently. The same was observed when examining different indexes under the same line. In the long-run, the low income rate, gap, and severity indexes all moved in the same direction. However in the short-run, they sometimes varied in opposite directions, or in the same direction with different magnitudes, suggesting that a single line or index can be misleading in some circumstances.

Description:

International comparisons show that the percentage of both college- and university-educated workers who earn less than half of the median employment income is higher than in Canada than in most, if not all, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Data from Statistics Canada's Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) show that 18% of university-educated adults and 23% of college-educated adults aged 25 to 64 in Canada earned less than half the national median employment income in 2006.

This study uses descriptive statistics and logistic regression techniques in order to shed light on the type of highly educated worker who is likely to fall into lower employment earnings, taking into account a range of characteristics, including age, sex, field of study, occupation and industry. While all of the workers in the study population had non-zero employment earnings, many of them reported an activity other than working as their main activity for the year, a key factor in explaining their low-earnings situation. Other factors associated with having a college or university education while also having low employment earnings include being self-employed, working in certain occupations or industries and being female.

Description:

This report compares the aggregate income estimates as published by four different statistical programs. The System of National Accounts provides a portrait of economic activity at the macro economic level. The three other programs considered generate data from a micro-economic perspective: two are survey based (Census of Population and Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics) and the third derives all its results from administrative data (Annual Estimates for Census Families and Individuals). A review of the conceptual differences across the sources is followed by a discussion of coverage issues and processing discrepancies that might influence estimates. Aggregate income estimates with adjustments where possible to account for known conceptual differences are compared. Even allowing for statistical variability, some reconciliation issues remain. These are sometimes are explained by the use of different methodologies or data gathering instruments but they sometimes also remain unexplained.

Description:

The student borrowing rate among postsecondary graduates increased between 1995 and 2005, with borrowers differing little from non-borrowers in terms of employment rates and total personal income. However, borrowers were less likely to have savings or investments, or own their own homes. Total debt for borrower and non-borrower graduates age 20 to 29 was similar, while borrowers had lower assets and net worth than non-borrowers.

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This series provides detailed documentation on income developments, including survey design issues, data quality evaluation and exploratory research for the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics in 2007

Description:

This fact sheet provides information on the proportion of the school-age population - defined as children and youth aged 5 to 24 - living in low-income circumstances, including the duration of low-income spells, using data from Statistics Canada's Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID). The percentage of children in low-income is calculated based on Statistics Canada's low income cut-offs (LICOs), using data on family income after government benefits are received and after federal and provincial taxes are paid.

Description:

Like the United States and the United Kingdom, Canada has a higher proportion of low-paid jobs than Australia and most countries in continental Europe. While the differences with continental Europe highlight different approaches to the labour market, the much lower rate of low-paid work in Australia is more puzzling since that country shares many similarities with Canada. Differences in wage-setting mechanisms appear to play a role in explaining the disparity in rates of low-paid jobs.

Description:

The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) was established to provide low-income seniors with extra income. While simplification of the GIS application process and outreach efforts have increased take-up rates, some seniors are still missing out. This update explores the characteristics of eligible non-recipients.

Description:

Women's labour market participation has increased substantially over recent decades, creating challenges for families in balancing work-life responsibilities. The examination of family work patterns revealed significant differences in annual hours of work between families with and those without children.

Description: Total income by census family type and living arrangement (number, average, median and percentage).

Description: Average and median total income by census family type.

Description: Median total income, economic family types.

Description: Income tax by economic family type (average, share and implicit income tax rate).

Description: Distribution of after-tax income, all family units.

Description: Distribution of after-tax income of individuals.

Description: Average after-tax income, by economic family type.

Description: Upper income limits and income shares of after-tax income quintiles for all family units.

Description: Median after-tax income, economic family types.

Description: Upper income limits and income shares of adjusted after-tax income quintiles for all economic family units.

Description:

For some time, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has used data on housing characteristics and housing-related expenditures from the Census of Population. Although the Census data source serves CMHC's purposes to a large extent, the federal government agency turned to the annual household surveys of Statistics Canada to provide information on a more frequent basis. This would allow them to have a better picture of annual trends, and perhaps have a greater choice of other characteristics with which to cross housing data on Canadian households. In 2001, CMHC began to sponsor additional content in both the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) and the Survey of Household Spending (SHS), starting with reference year 2002.

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This article investigates factors influencing the chances of find a job for people who were unemployed for more than six months in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Results for the short-term jobless are included for comparison.

Description:

The Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) is a longitudinal survey initiated in 1993. The survey was designed to measure changes in the economic well-being of Canadians as well as the factors affecting these changes.

Sample surveys are subject to errors. As with all surveys conducted at Statistics Canada, considerable time and effort is taken to control such errors at every stage of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics. Nonetheless errors do occur. It is the policy at Statistics Canada to furnish users with measures of data quality so that the user is able to interpret the data properly. This report summarizes a set of quality measures that has been produced in an attempt to describe the overall quality of SLID data. Among the measures included in the report are sample composition and attrition rates, sampling errors, coverage errors in the form of slippage rates, response rates, tax permission and tax linkage rates, and imputation rates.

Description:

Statistics Canada has been publishing data on low-income Canadians for more than 30 years. In the past, these measures were published separately in Low income cut-offs (Catalogue no. 13-551-XPB) and Low income measures, low-income after-tax cut-offs and low-income after-tax measures (Catalogue no. 13F0019-XPB). Henceforth, all these measures will be incorporated in this publication.

As well as the various cut-offs, this publication contains a detailed description of the methods used to arrive at the cut-off points. There is also an explanation of how base years are defined, and how the cut-offs are updated using the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Description:

This article looks at the characteristics of three distinct groups of non-standard workers: the self-employed, employees with permanent part-time jobs, and temporary employees. The economic consequences of non-standard work depend greatly on whether the situation is short-term or long-term.

Description:

Comparative analysis of poverty dynamics incidence - transitions, and persistence - can yield important insights about the nature of poverty and the effectiveness of alternative policy responses. This manuscript compares poverty dynamics in four advanced industrial countries (Canada, unified Germany, Great Britain, and the United States) for overlapping six-year periods in the 1990s. The data indicate that poverty persistence is higher in North America than in Europe; for example, despite high incidence, poverty in Great Britain is relatively transitory. Most poverty transitions, and the prevalence of chronic poverty, are associated with employment instability and family dissolution in all four countries. The results also suggest that differences in social policy are crucial for the observed differences in poverty incidence and persistence between Europe and North America.

Description:

This study compares income estimates across several statistical programs at Statistics Canada. It examines how similar the estimates produced by different question sets are.

Income data are collected by many household surveys. Some surveys have income as a major part of their content, and therefore collect income at a detailed level; others collect data from a much smaller set of income questions. No standard sets of income questions have been developed.

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This article takes a brief look at family incomes in 2002 and changes since 1980.

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RRSPs are not always used as a source of income in retirement. This article examines premature RRSP withdrawals between 1993 and 2001, and whether major life events such as marital separation, death of a spouse or job loss affect this behaviour.

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This paper consolidates existing information on the measurement of low income in Canada, and indicates the current status of the three measures of low income in Canada: the low income cut-offs (LICOs), the low income measures (LIMs) and the market basket measure (MBM). The methodology of each measure is presented, and future developments in the measurement of low income are discussed.

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This paper describes the collection method and content of the 2002 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) income interview.

Description:

This user's guide provides a detailed description of the CD-ROM Income Trends in Canada (Catalogue no. 13F0022XCB). It also provides a glossary and a description of the major concepts, as well as an overview of the data source, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID).

Description:

This document outlines the structure of the January 2001 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) labour interview, including question wording, possible responses and the flow of questions.

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This paper presents the questions, possible responses and question flows for the 2001 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) preliminary questionnaire.

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This document presents the information for the Entry Exit portion of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) Labour interview.

Description:

This user's guide provides a detailed description of the CD-ROM Income trends in Canada (Catalogue no. 13F0022XCB). It also provides a glossary and a description of the major concepts, as well as an overview of the data source, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID).

Description:

This user's guide provides a detailed description of the CD-ROM Income trends in Canada (13F0022XCB). It also provides a glossary, a description of the major concepts as well as an overview of the data source, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID).

Description:

This document presents the questions, responses and interview flow for the Contact and Demographic portions of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) interviews.

Description:

This paper presents the questions, possible responses and question flows for the 1999 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) preliminary questionnaire.

Description:

This paper outlines the structure of the January 1999 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) labour interview questionnaire, including question wording, possible responses, and flows of questions.