Fall 2008
Archived Content
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Fathers' use of paid parental leave
Katherine Marshall
In 2001, shareable parental leave benefits under the federal Parental Benefits Program increased from 10 to 35 weeks, and in 2006 Quebec introduced its Parental Insurance Program. These changes led to a significant increase in the number of fathers claiming paid parental leave benefits. Between 2000 and 2006, the proportion of fathers claiming parental benefits jumped from 3% to 20%. The most common reasons for fathers not claiming the benefits were family choice, difficulty taking time off work and financial issues.
Work-life balance of shift workers
Cara Williams
More than a quarter of employed Canadians work something other than a regular daytime schedule—regular evenings or nights, rotating or split shifts, casual or on-call jobs or irregular shifts. This article focuses on shift work among full-time workers aged 19 to 64 and looks at where and among whom it is most prevalent. Work-life balance, role overload and other indicators of wellbeing are also examined.
Remittances by recent immigrants
Grant Schellenberg and René Houle
During their initial years in Canada, a significant minority of new immigrants send money to family members in their country of origin. The incidence of remitting among immigrants from different countries ranges from less than 10% to over 60%, and the annual amounts from about $500 to almost $3,000. While financial and family characteristics are consistently significant with the remittance activities of immigrants from all world regions, factors such as sex and education are significant only for immigrants from some regions but not others.
A profile of the Canadian Forces
Jungwee Park
Canada's military makes up a small but significant segment of Canadian society and is an important part of the country's national image, both at home and abroad. After declining through the 1990s, the forces have grown since 2001, reaching 88,000 in 2006. This article profiles the personnel of the Canadian Forces as a special occupational group distinct from the rest of the Canadian labour force. It also compares the military's prevalence of rates of work stress and other work-related mental health issues with those of the civilian working population and investigates whether any specific groups experience a higher prevalence.
Changes in family wealth
Raj K. Chawla
Buoyed by rising incomes coupled with stable inflation and low interest rates, Canadians went on a spending spree between 1999 and 2005. However, much of the increased spending was financed through credit, as the personal savings rate slumped and per capita debt jumped. This paper divides families into seven cohorts, based on the year of birth of the major income recipient, and compares family assets and debts in 2005 with the situation in 1999 to provide a rough life-cycle portrait of Canadian families.
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