Stats Canada Weighs in on Working Zoomers

By Richard Rohmer

Statistics Canada, that federal ‘independent’ organization at the eye, the centre of a magical political storm, put out an end of July study that had some hard news for Canada’s seniors, mainly Zoomers over a certain age.

What’s a senior? For the purposes of Stats Canada it appears to be someone who has ‘retired’, whatever that means. Try someone who is sixty/sixty-five or older.

For the purposes of CARP (the Canadian organization that reputedly is the closest thing to a national grey power movement) a senior is anyone who is 45 years of age or older.

But let’s stick with Statistics Canada’s line.

Its 16 page study says that one out of every 10 seniors was employed or seeking work in 2006, the year the last census (it was mandatory!) was taken.

There are five Stats Canada (SC) findings that hit on seniors starting with this one:

— (SC) The highest incidence of employment is among seniors in the top income/quintile (bracket) one-fifth of all — rich souls; or in the bottom income/quintile (the poorest fifth of our seniors population).

Comment: the gang as the top quintile include members of corporate boards of directors, lawyers, judges, doctors and the like. At the bottom are the seniors who have no choice because they’re ‘broke’ or if they have a pension it isn’t enough to meet basic lifestyle demands. They’re great fodder for the jobs that pay a legislated minimum hourly wage.

— (SC) Affluent seniors are motivated primarily by a desire to use their skills and experience. Low income seniors need a pay cheque to make ends meet.

Comment: that’s a mirror of the comments made above!

— (SC) Seniors with mortgages and other big financial obligations work at a much higher rate than those who have whittled down their debts.

Comment: that’s a great employment motivator if you have to pay or get foreclosed/evicted from your residence, or pay or lose your business.

— (SC) There is a large, but shrinking, gender gap. Fifteen percent of men over 65 work, compared with 6 percent of women.

Comment: Perhaps that number has to do with the fact that women outlive men by a longshot and have estate survivor funds to sustain them — hence no need to ‘work’?

— (SC) After the age of 70, employment falls off sharply for health reasons.

Comment: that age number should probably now be 75 because our Zoomer population is getting such great heath care — and that includes the new Tamil immigrants. Yes?

Generally speaking, the health of Stats Canada appears to be of more concern to our Ottawa politicians than the well being of our Zoomer citizenry and in particular that of our military Veterans!