General Social Survey on Education, Work and Retirement

Description: collects data on education, work and retirement and focuses on the transition into retirement and post-retirement activities

Who/what was surveyed: persons aged 15 and over residing in private dwellings in the ten provinces of Canada

How the data were collected: telephone interviews from approximately 10,000 respondents selected by random digit dialing

Geographic detail: Canada and provinces

Demographic detail: age, sex, marital status, household composition, mother tongue, religion, year of immigration

Information collected:

1. educational attainment and intentions
2. transition from education to work to retirement
3. occupational history
4. job satisfaction and working conditions
5. post-retirement activities (in 1994 cycle)
6. work interruptions (in 1994 cycle)
7. social mobility (in 1994 cycle as well as in 1992 time-use cycle)
8. computer use
9. annual income of respondent and of household

Frequency: Irregular (survey was conducted in 1989 and 1994)

Sample size: Approximately 10,000 individuals

Data availability: conducted in 1989 and 1994

Reference period: occupational history (first job, job held five years ago, last job and current job); depends on the variable

Release dates: 1989 and 1994 are available

Response rates: 81% in 1989 and 1994

What makes the data valuable:

1. provides partial information on work history
2. allows for linkage between work and education
3. provides detailed information on education history
4. provides information on perception and attitudes related to work

Products and services:

1. Quality of Work in the Service Sector (Catalogue no. 11-612-MPE, no. 6)
2. Human Resource Challenges of Education, Computers and Retirement (Catalogue no. 11-612-MPE, no. 7)
3. Canada’s Changing Retirement Patterns: Findings from the General Social Survey (Catalogue no. 89-546-XPE), based on 1994 data
4. Canadian Social Trends (Catalogue no. 11-008-XPE), quarterly, selected articles
5. Articles in Perspectives on Labour and Income,Catalogue no. 75-001-XPE, quarterly paper edition and Catalogue no. 75-001-XIE, monthly online edition.
6. A public use microdata file for each survey cycle that allows users to do their own tabulations is available.
7. Special tabulations meeting specific user requirements are available on a cost-recovery basis.

Responsible division: Housing, Family and Social Statistics