Interest rates and inflation are taking a toll on Quebecers’ morale. One in four people are now unable to pay their bills if their salary were to be deferred for a week. This number has risen sharply in the last two years.
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“I don’t know many people who aren’t stressed out these days when everything blows up,” says Serge Bisson as he fills up his Mazda at a gas station in Mascouche. “You really have to have a well-filled bank account in order not to feel the pressure, it comes from all sides,” he says.
Across the country, the number of workers classified as financially stressed has increased by 20 percentage points in the last year alone and now represents 37% of the workforce.
This is according to the National Payroll Institute’s annual survey of Canadian workers, published by the same institute.
“The factors that contribute to financial stress are becoming increasingly difficult for Quebecers and Canadians to overcome,” emphasizes Peter Tzanetakis, president of the institute.
Other findings from the survey include that in Quebec, only half of workers report having an emergency fund of $5,000, a decrease of 16 percentage points compared to 2021. Additionally, nearly two in three workers (63%) spend their emergency fund and 30% spend more than their paycheck, forcing them to take on debt or dip into their savings each pay cycle.
Plan for the worst
“The best way to deal with stress is to talk about it and get support,” suggests Charles Hunter-Villeneuve, consultant at the National Bank. “You don’t have to be alone in this. Plus, “writing down your goals, fears and solutions “gets your fears out of your head” and puts things into perspective, putting everything in perspective,” he argues.
The expert also advises working with a professional to create a complete financial plan that covers all areas of financial planning. The exercise should also include “worst-case scenario” simulations, he said.
“The goal is to prepare for the worst so that we can better cope with it. “In this way, the real situation can only be embellished,” he says.
Employees looking to improve their financial well-being may need to rethink what constitutes a “significant” expense, adds Peter Tzanetakis.
“That might mean foregoing a family vacation, putting off a purchase, or opting for cheaper alternatives to ensure there is enough money left over after each paycheck to pay for food, clothing, and housing,” he concludes.
Second jobs
According to Statistics Canada, as of last August, as many as 34.9% of workers in the country who held more than one job did so initially to meet their basic needs. This is a 70% increase compared to data collected just before the pandemic, in February and March 2020. This is the case of Michel Hassoun, chef, who does not see the situation improving: “My salary is no longer enough.” I will have to look for a second job very soon. I don’t want to start getting into debt. »
Quebecers are financially stressed
- Only half of the employees In Quebec they say they have an emergency fund $5000a decrease of 16 percentage points compared to 2021.
- THE quarter of the employees (25%) Quebecers also believe that they would have done so if their salary had been postponed by a week have difficulty meeting their financial obligationscompared to 21% last year and 16% in 2021.
- 38% of employees Quebecers admit they have feelings more isolated from society due to the rising cost of living. They also say those close to them have felt their financial strain.
- One in five Quebecers had to take sick leave to cope with increasing levels of illness financial stress.
methodology
The National Payroll Institute’s 15th annual survey of working Canadians was conducted online from July 21 to August 1, 2023, among 1,500 working Canadians (81% of whom are full-time employees) using the Framework Analytics online panel.
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