Employment indexes, by job permanency

Until 2002, temporary jobs grew at a faster pace than permanent ones

• Job permanency—whether or not a job has a predetermined end date—can be used alongside other indicators as a measure of job quality. A permanent job is generally considered a'good' job since it tends to be more stable and has higher wages than a temporary job. For example, in 2003, the average hourly wage of permanent employees was $18.65, compared with $13.94 for temporary employees.
• In 2003, the vast majority of Canadian employees (88%) had a permanent job—one with no predetermined end date. Employees with temporary jobs, which include term or contract, casual or seasonal type jobs, numbered 1.7 million in 2003 and represented 12% of all employees.
• Temporary jobs increased at a faster pace than permanent ones from 1997 to 2002 (+31% versus +12%), but in terms of sheer numbers, there were far more permanent jobs added (+1.2 million) than temporary jobs (+396,000). From 2002 to 2003, the number of employees in temporary jobs decreased by 1.9% (-32,000) while those in permanent jobs increased 2.6% (+300,000). Most of the decrease among temporary employees was in casual work.

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