Related products and services

Free summary tables in Canadian Statistics
Income in Canada, 2001
Longitudinal data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)
Public use microdata files
Research and working papers
SLID documentation for researchers
Income research paper series
Perspectives on labour and income
Client services

Free summary tables in Canadian Statistics

Labour, employment and unemployment: earnings

Families, households and housing: income

Income in Canada, 2001

Longitudinal data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)

Starting with reference year 1998, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) officially replaced the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) as the source of income data.

SLID is a longitudinal survey – the same people are interviewed from one year to the next for a period of six years – that began collecting data with the 1993 reference year.

The income content of the two surveys is similar, with SLID adding a large selection of variables that capture transitions in Canadian jobs, income and family events. Therefore, SLID opens new research avenues that will provide greater insights on important issues, such as how many Canadians remain in low income situations and what makes it possible for others to emerge from periods of low income.

Paradoxically, the comprehensive data that make SLID so valuable, also makes it more complex for Statistics Canada to ensure that confidentiality of respondents is maintained.

In order to comply with the strict confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, SLID longitudinal data are made available through new modes of dissemination.

Remote data access enables researchers to write and test their own computer programs. They can then send these programs via the Internet to Statistics Canada, Where they are run on the microdata file. The results are sent back to the client. This service is an alternative to using Statistics Canada's Data Centres or Regional Offices which are not always located in areas accessible to the researchers.

Research data centres were opened in 2000 on selected university campuses across the country. These centres act as extensions of Statistics Canada and provide researchers with access to the data, while protecting confidentiality.

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Public use microdata files

Cross-sectional public use microdata files for 1996 to 2000 are available modeled on the Survey of Consumer Finances microdata files. No longitudinal public use microdata files are presently planned.

Research and working papers

A variety of research and working papers have been produced using SLID data, both by Statistics Canada and by external researchers. Listed below is a selection of recent papers, and a more comprehensive bibliography is available in the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics - A Survey Overview.

• Effects of Self-rated Disability and Subjective Health on Job Separation
• Recent Developments in the Low Income Cutoffs
• Should the Low Income Cutoffs be Updated? A summary of feedback on Statistics Canada’s discussion paper
• To What Extent are Canadians Exposed to Low Income?
• The Persistent Gap: New Evidence on the Canadian Gender Wage Gap
• A Comparison of the Results of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) and the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) 1993-1997: Update
• Low-income Intensity during the 1990s: the Role of Economic Growth, Employment Earnings and Social Transfers
• Wage Progression of less Skilled Workers in Canada: Evidence from the SLID (1993-1998)
• Wives, Mothers and Wages: Does Timing Matter?
• The Performance of the 1990s Canadian Labour Market

SLID documentation for researchers

• Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics - A Survey Overview
• Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics Microdata User’s Guide
• SLID Electronic Data Dictionary

Income research paper series

Perspectives on labour and income

Perspectives on Labour and Income is a quarterly journal that features analytical articles on the latest trends. It includes a section that summarizes recent reports and studies released by Statistics Canada. Subscribing to Perspectives on Labour and Income will prove to be an excellent way to keep up-to-date on what’s new, all year long!

Client services

For clients with more specialized data needs, custom tabulations can be produced on a cost-recovery basis. For more information or to enquire about the concepts, methods, data quality or the product line, contact Client Services, Income Statistics Division (1-888-297-7355 or 613-951-7355; income@statcan.ca).