Lockdown support praised
2020-06-24
Vancouver B.C. (23 June 2020) — Amid financial and work-related impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown, most Metro Vancouver residents (75%) are satisfied with the government assistance. Satisfaction is particularly high among workers who were laid off as a result of the lockdown. Ninety percent (90%) of laid-off workers are satisfied with government assistance during the lockdown, including over half (56%) who are “very” satisfied.
Reliance on financial relief
Three-in-ten (30%) Metro Vancouver adults have relied on government COVID-19 financial relief during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is by far Metro Vancouverites’ most used assistance program, at one-in-five (20%) residents. The program is most widely used by residents under 55 years, those who have seen their pay reduced, and those employed by smaller organizations.
- Younger residents, under 55 years: 18-34 years, 26% and 35-54, 21% versus 13%, 55 and older.
- Those who have lost their jobs or had their pay reduced: Laid off / lost job: 72%; Hours / pay reduced: 40% versus those with no change to income: 2%.
- Workers employed prior to the lockdown in businesses with fewer than 50 Metro Vancouver employees: 37%-38% versus 17-23% among larger businesses.
Future uncertain for laid-off workers
Four-in-ten (39%) Metro Vancouver residents employed prior to the COVID-19 lockdown lost their jobs (23%) or had their income reduced (16%).
Part-time, contract, and casual workers have been particularly vulnerable during the lockdown. They are twice as likely as full-time workers to be laid off (41% compared to 18% among full-time workers). Poll respondents in the hospitality and film and television sectors have been hardest hit by layoffs.
Three-quarters (74%) of laid-off workers face an unclear future after the lockdown lifts. One-in-five (22%) tell pollsters their layoff is permanent, while one-quarter (25%) are uncertain about the future of their jobs. Currently, just over half (54%) of laid-off workers believe they will be re-hired.
Most (91%) of laid-off workers are now receiving some form of government aid.
For more information contact:
Barbara Justason, Justason Market Intelligence
+1 604 783 4165 / Barb@JustasonMI.com / twitter: @BarbJustason
Research Notes
These are the findings of a Justason Market Intelligence (JMI) survey of Metro Vancouver adults. All respondents were aged 18 years and older. Conducted and sponsored by Justason Market Intelligence for public education purposes, this online survey was completed June 12 to 14, 2020.
The sample source is the firm’s online panel of BC consumers, which is recruited primarily through random digit dialling of landlines and mobile phones. The final sample was weighted to match the demographic and regional characteristics of Metro Vancouver according to the most recent census. The sample of 741 Metro Vancouver residents carries a margin of error of +/-3.6 percentage points 95 per cent of the time. Smaller base sizes, including population subgroups, carry wider error margins.
