| Release date | 2020 | 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | |
| Quarterly (percentage) | |||||
| May 25, 2021 | 87.3 | 79.6 | 76.6 | 74.2 | 54.8 |
| February 24, 2021 | 87.0 | 78.0 | 75.7 | 54.9 | .. |
| November 20, 2020 | 84.4 | 76.3 | 55.4 | .. | .. |
| August 25, 2020 | 82.3 | 59.1 | .. | .. | .. |
| June 9, 2020 | 67.8 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| .. not available for a specific reference period Source: Quarterly Survey of Financial Statements (2501) |
|||||
Release date: June 3, 2021
Catalogue number: 45-20-0003
ISSN: 2816-2250
We sit down (virtually!) with Tony Labillois, StatCan’s Champion for Persons With Disabilities, to talk about the new challenges and opportunities experienced by persons with disabilities during the pandemic.
Tegan Bridge
Tony Labillois, StatCan's Champion for Persons With Disabilities
Download: National AccessAbility Week 2021 (MP3, 19.38 MB)
Tegan: In September, we're launching StatCan's first podcast. It will be available in both English and French under the names Eh Sayers and Hé-coutez bien. To celebrate National AccessAbility Week, we're sharing a preview of our first episode. We've all been working hard on it, and I hope you enjoy.
[Theme music]
Welcome to the very first episode of Eh Sayers, it's a podcast from Statistics Canada, where we meet the people behind the data and explore the stories behind the numbers. I'm your host, Tegan.
Today, we're talking about disability. According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, more than 6 million Canadians aged 15 and over report having a disability. That's about 1 in 5 Canadians. So what do we mean when we say persons with disabilities?
Tony: Well, it can mean many things for many people, and some people will will have activity limitations and probably will not even think of themselves as being a person with a disability. We mean people with visible and invisible conditions that may affect them in their daily life or in their daily work.
Tegan: That's Tony Labillois.
Tony: My name is Tony Labillois. I'm the Director for public sector Statistics Division at Statistics Canada, and I'm also the champion for persons with disabilities in our organization since 2002. And I'm visually impaired since I was born. I have low vision. And for me it's normal vision.
Tegan: 1.5 million Canadians aged 15 years and over have a seeing disability, like Tony.
What do you mean by invisible conditions?
Tony: You see, immediately, when you meet someone, like you will see that I have dancing eyes, if you see me, you'll notice that my eyes are different. So you'll know that I'm visually impaired or there's something different. But there's a lot of invisible disabilities, there's a lot of people where you will meet the person and you could not know that they have an activity limitation. And think about things like learning disability, mental health challenge, or even pain, chronic pain or hypersensitivity to the environment. All those things are affecting us as human beings, either for an episode of our life or permanently. And that's what can be included in persons with disabilities. But it doesn't mean that the person would recognize himself or herself as having a disability or being part of that group. It's a question of acceptance or a question of perception depending on our experiences... yeah our experiences.
Tegan: Could you talk a bit more about that? Why a person might not identify themselves as having a disability?
Tony: Yes, absolutely. I remember the time that when I was not even sure if I should self identify, or I wasn't sure I was even accepting myself as I was, as a teenager. And as we evolve as human beings, or as our condition evolves, as human beings that perception might change. Unfortunately, disability or an activity limitation is something that can be acquired. So it may change our perception of ourselves. And it may change the way we answer a question if there's a question. Are you a person with disability? Yes or no. But there's also even despite the condition itself, there's a level of trust in ourselves and trust in others, acceptance of ourselves and the way we feel that we will be accepted or not by others, that will have an influence on us self declaring, especially if it's invisible. Someone wouldn't have to necessarily self declare.
Tony: So I may choose especially if it's an invisible disability not to disclose. We're all facing that as we're getting older. Unfortunately, we can acquire a disability, something very simple in many people's lives when they get in their 40s. And suddenly, they don't see as well as they used to, and suddenly they need glasses. But before they accept for themselves that they need to go see optometrist and get the right prescription,they will often try to look at a piece of paper that they receive in the mail or at something else a bit further or closer to try to get the right focus and so on. It's a very simple example where there's--they need to accept that they will need that accommodation in their life. It's usually something that will not generate any discrimination in society because many people already have glasses and it's accepted socially and professionally, that people can be efficient even when they have glasses. Other persons with disabilities need other accommodations sometimes or not. But they often are not certain that these accommodations or their different ways of doing something will be as accepted as glasses would be or using glasses would be.
Tegan: Invisible disabilities may be more common than you might expect. For example, in 2017, just over 4 million Canadians aged 15 and older had a pain-related disability and over 2 million had a mental health-related disability.
Tony told us a little more about the reality of living with an invisible disability.
Tony: It means that you can choose, it means that you can choose not to ever divulge it, and to live with that choice. And it means that you can choose to tell others and live with that choice as well. Think of someone with a diagnostic of anxiety. That person is evolving in the workplace and is having issues at certain point in time. And if he or she chooses not to say anything, that means that it may affect the person very much and even affect the colleagues very much without nobody knowing that there is a specific condition that could be considered and could be accommodated. So, it's true for any invisible disability. But think also if suddenly that person decides to divulge the fact that he or she has an anxiety problem. Well, suddenly, if it's accepted, again, it's a question of trust and acceptance, if it's accepted by the person, and the person doesn't feel she will be stigmatized or limited by that with the perception of others, if she feels that the workplace is conducive enough to discuss mental health issues, or any invisible disabilities, suddenly, accommodations can be put in place, even the person can get coaching or the person can get some help in stressful moments, the person can even just be able to say that she's stressed and that will relieve some stress, maybe the only accommodation that that person will need to know that she can ask frequently to the boss if everything is going well. Instead of ruminating and having ideas in your mind so there's a choice there to say or not say something which is not the case with something visible. I mean, people will probably ask questions even about something visible if we pretend it's not there.
Tegan: Then, it's much more complicated than a yes/no question. "Are you a person with a disability, yes or no?" It's not always that simple, is it?
Tony: Yeah, we have a social model to measure disability like in our Canadian survey on disability done in 2017 and the one we will do in 2022, after the census, we will make use of a social model where we don't look at the medical conditions of the people, we mostly look at the potential activity limitations and potential barriers that they face in the environment that they're in for their life or for work. And with scales also for light, moderate, and high impact of these things.
Tegan: Why is it especially important to acknowledge that hidden disability exists especially during the pandemic, both to acknowledge that it exists in other people we might interact with, but also, you know, within yourself, within ourselves.
Tony: This pandemic brought a lot of new opportunities, and a lot of challenges too. There are some invisible things that now are activity limitations for people that may never perceive themselves as persons with disabilities, they will likely never tick that box on a questionnaire if you ask them Are you a person with disability or not? You think of someone with a weak immune system, with someone, someone with pulmonary disease, someone with a newly developed phobia of the public space, these people don't perceive themselves and may never perceive themselves as a person with disability and that's okay. But that they will likely need accommodations. In fact, all of us we need accommodations to work from home for example, the way many of us will do now, even if we are not with disabilities. An analyst would need two screens to work efficiently and it's not a disability it's a question of productivity like it is for anybody with activity limitations. analysis is more easily done with lots of space to actually conduct it.
Tony: Another important aspect is that the pandemic has taught us that it could be any one of us that would suddenly face an activity limitation. If you think of the people with weak immune system or with pulmonary disease or other conditions, suddenly, from one day to the next, because of the context, they faced a situation that they had never envisioned. And that impacts on their ability to participate in a physical workplace or in society in general. It could be any of us that suddenly faced this, we could have a context that evolved or our own personal health could evolve. And it will have an impact on our ability to contribute, work or to participate in, in society and in the economy of Canada. And it becomes very important that we all build an inclusive world, an inclusive workplace, an inclusive economy and society so that we're not going to face an inability to contribute or to participate, even if the context would change, or even if our own health would change as we get older.
Tegan: So how does using the term barrier rather than disability help people to better understand that accessibility benefits everyone?
Tony: That's a really good question. The barrier is often something that is not attached to the person itself. It's attached to the environment. And it's something we can change, we can reflect on how to make sure that it's removed. And once it's removed, the person can do and you see more the ability than the disability. The Disability is often caused by the barrier. Let's take my own example. I see in a way that makes me appreciate scenery or art or I take pictures and I see colors I enjoy what I see, but I see much less than most human beings. And if all human beings would see like me, the environment would be different. Signs would be bigger, labels would be bigger, or we would have found accommodations for everyone so that we can all see equally and contribute equally. But sometimes I have a hard time seeing something something I receive a document that is in PDF and it's not accessible. Well, if everybody would use the same color scheme that I do or the same elements of my, my workstation, we would all be working in the same way. And there are ways to make sure that this--these barriers don't exist, they're often simple. They're just not known because they're not needed by the majority. So, when you talk about the barrier, instead of disability, we can all work on it, we can all make sure it disappears and that someone like me can do my job as a director, I can fulfill my role as a father or I can even repair some things around the house because I found my own ways to do these things and we can all find our own ways with the help of others sometimes or with our own perseverance other times and to contribute and lead a full life.
Tegan: how can broadening the definition of disability help more people accept that disability is everywhere and shouldn't be a taboo subject?
Tony: The more we open this definition but also the discussion, the more we are inclusive. I think the more that the level of knowledge will increase in society and hopefully the level of trust in the abilities. Because it's not about the disabilities it's about abilities that we need to look for.
[Theme music]
Tegan: That's it for now, but I hope that you'll be back to hear the full episode when we launch in September. A big thank you to our guest, Tony Labillois, and thanks to you for listening. See you next time!
Date: March 19, 2021
Location: Virtual meeting
Dr. Howard Ramos, Anil Arora, Annette Hester, Dr. Celine Le Bourdais, Jan Kestle, David Chaundy, Dr. Michael Wolfson
Gurmeet Ahluwalia, Gail Mc Donald
Monia Lahaie, Jacques Fauteux, Greg Peterson, Andre Loranger, Stephane Dufour, Lynn Barr-Telford, Martin St-Yves, Pierre Desrochers, Melanie Forsberg
Pierre Therrien
| Time | Agenda Item | Lead Participant(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 13:00 – 13:10 | Chairperson Introductory Remarks | Howard Ramos CSAC Chairperson |
| 13:10 – 13:30 | Update from the Chief Statistician | Anil Arora Chief Statistician of Canada |
| 13:30 – 13:50 | Roundtable Discussion and Q&A | CSAC members and all Assistant Chief Statisticians |
| 13:50 – 14:50 | Update on Working Group 1 | CSAC members and all Assistant Chief Statisticians |
| Debrief of working group 1 20 minutes |
Jan Kestle CSAC member and Working Group 1 lead |
|
| Discussion and Q&A 40 minutes |
CSAC members and Andre Loranger, Tom Dufour, Michelle Marquis, Pierre Desrochers | |
| 14:50 – 15:05 | Health Break | |
| 15:05 – 15:35 | Update on Working group 2 and working group 3 | CSAC members and all Assistant Chief Statisticians Celine Le Bourdais |
| Update from Working group 2 15 minutes |
CSAC member and Working Group 2 lead | |
| Update on working group 3 15 minutes |
Annette Hester CSAC member and Working Group 3 lead |
|
| 15:35 – 16:30 | Next Steps for CSAC In Camera |
CSAC members |
Dr. Howard Ramos opened the meeting by welcoming members to the second CSAC meeting of 2021. Dr. Ramos took the time to thank Statistics Canada for the work the agency has done over the past year, and highlighted in the agency's most recent release, COVID-19 in Canada: A One-year Update on Social and Economic Impacts. Dr. Ramos also commended the agency for sharing currently available data of interest in anticipation of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, 2021. Dr. Ramos requested that this information be shared with all Council members following the meeting. Dr. Ramos turned to the Chief Statistician, Mr. Anil Arora, for his opening remarks.
The Chief Statistician began by thanking Council members for their continued engagement and contributions, noting that their work is having profound impacts on the agency. The Chief Statistician noted how crucial and relevant the council's three areas of focus are, particularly in the current context. The Chief Statistician briefly spoke about the agency's recent publication, COVID-19 in Canada: A One-year Update on Social and Economic Impacts, noting the important contributions of Statistics Canada's analytics team in preparing the materials over the course of the last year. While the agency reflects on the impacts of the pandemic on all aspects of Canadian life this past year, it too is anticipating emerging data needs and innovative solutions to ensure it can remain relevant and continue to meet the evolving needs of Canadians.
CSAC members engaged in a discussion with the Chief Statistician and Assistant Chief Statisticians regarding challenges and opportunities the agency is facing. Access to data, reinforcement of the agency's stewardship role, increasing demands and limited resources were among some of the important challenges the agency faces.
As decided upon at the January council meeting, three working groups were struck to address key issues and offer advice. The work of the groups would also support the production of the council's next annual report. Jan Kestle was identified as the lead for Working Group 1(WG1), tasked with exploring how to enable Statistics Canada through legislation and engagement. Working group 1, which includes CSAC members David Chaundy, Gail Mc Donald and Howard Ramos, met on February 23rd 2021. Statistics Canada representatives, Andre Loranger, Tom Dufour, Pierre Desrochers and Michelle Marquis, shared an update on the status of discussions underway on potential amendments to the Statistics Act. Ms. Kestle provided council members an overview of the discussion, emphasizing the importance of Statistics Canada's stewardship role, and the role of CSAC in terms of helping to articulate the policy questions and issues. Ms. Kestle expressed the importance of ensuring that the Statistics Act was reviewed now, particularly in light of amendments to privacy legislation underway (Privacy Act, Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act [PIPEDA]). Ms. Kestle also noted the importance of addressing First Nations' issues in any revisions, and the need for a stronger federal government point of view and national data strategy.
Council members shared their views, echoing the need for Statistics Act revisions to be taken into account as privacy legislation is being revised. Members noted that there may be opportunities to reinforce Statistics Canada's role through policy directions in addition to legislative amendments. Leveraging this opportunity to address issues around data access (incoming and outgoing) would be important. Members noted the complementary nature of the various working groups and the opportunity to work collaboratively across groups to address these issues – with the goal of ensuring any legislation remains relevant in a changing society and an increasingly data-driven and digital world. Members also discussed the need to raise awareness with various constituencies. Council members discussed the timing of adjustments to the Act, noting that the public environment and social acceptability will need to be considered carefully as we move forward with this work. Support of the Minister will also be key.
Jan thanked members for their feedback and noted that she will make some adjustments to the presentation shared to reflect the discussion today, with the help of colleagues in working group 1. Statistics Canada was also asked to prepare a short summary on the status of amendments to the Privacy Act and PIPEDA to further inform the work of the council.
Dr. Celine Le Bourdais provided an update on the scoping for Working Group 2 (WG2), Data Spine. Working Group 2 includes Gurmeet Ahluwalia, Dr. Michael Wolfson and Dr. Howard Ramos. WG2 will focus on data stewardship and what advice the Council can offer on how Canada's Chief Data Officer should be defined. All three working groups are examining this issue from different perspectives. WG2 may examine Statistics Canada's role as supporter and leader in improving data access by government, private, academic and non-governmental organization (NGO) researchers and users. The second issue relates to data spine/data core, where modern methods and technology allow for better integration and linking of data and increasing the availability of disaggregated data. A broad topic, WG2 will focus on high level elements of a data spine/data and core concept that would best support decision making on health, social, economic and environmental issues. Considerations could include what data need to be linked, infrastructure needed to support it, training required, who should have access to the integrated data and how these data would be made available.
Annette Hester shared her views on the initial scoping of Working Group 3 (WG3)), Data Gaps, which includes Dr. Michael Wolfson, Dr. Celine Le Bourdais, Gail Mc Donald and Dr. Howard Ramos. WG3 will focus on building on the CSAC Annual Report in examining what are critical data and digital technology gaps at Statistics Canada and what should be done to address them.WG3 will explore the historical governance structure between Statistics Canada and the various federal departments, provinces, and indigenous organizations and how this may constrain the organization's ability to deliver what Canada needs to create wealth and prosperity in a world marked by a digital future. To realize its potential, a new governance model where Statistics Canada has the funding and authority to define and in partnerships, develop, the key datasets that follow the evolution of the country/world is needed. WG3 could focus on a few areas (i.e., economic recovery, impact on Indigenous and racialized Canadians) to exemplify the impact of funding and governance/mandate to identify key data gaps and opportunities for collecting, integrating and sharing data. Considerations could include examining the federal government's planning process, the leadership role Statistics Canada could play in determining program data requirements and options for financing data acquisition and data development.
Dr. Ramos thanked council members for their contributions and for today's rich discussion. Follow up items were noted and the CSAC secretariat will work with the Council members to coordinate next steps for the working groups.
Date: January 29, 2021
Location: Virtual meeting
Dr. Howard Ramos, Anil Arora, Annette Hester, Dr. Celine Le Bourdais, Gail Mc Donald, Gurmeet Ahluwalia, Jan Kestle, David Chaundy, Dr. Michael Wolfson
Monia Lahaie, Jacques Fauteux, Greg Peterson, Andre Loranger, Stephane Dufour, Lynn Barr-Telford, Martin St-Yves, Melanie Forsberg
Pierre Therrien
| Time | Agenda item | Lead participant(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 13:30 – 13:40 | Chairperson Introductory Remarks | Howard Ramos |
| 13:40 – 13:55 | Updates from Chief Statistician of Canada | Anil Arora Chief Statistician of Canada |
| 13:55 – 15:10 | Roundtable Discussion and Q&A | CSAC members and all Assistant Chief Statisticians |
| 15:10 – 15:20 | Health Break | |
| 15:20 – 16:20 | Discussion on Working groups and Next Steps for CSAC In Camera |
CSAC members |
| 16:20 – 16:30 | Closing remarks from Chairperson | Howard Ramos |
Dr. Howard Ramos provided brief opening remarks and welcomed council members to the first CSAC meeting of 2021.
The Chief Statistician (CS) wished council members a happy new year, and discussed recent events including a cabinet shuffle which saw Minister Champagne take on the role of Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the release of new supplemental mandate letters which highlight, among other things, the need for better disaggregated data, and Statistics Canada's participation in a recent Prime Minister stock take on economic inclusion. The Chief Statistician provided an update on the agency's work in the area of contact tracing, PPE and vaccine data modelling and management, the Canadian COVID-19 antibody and health survey, work within the public service to measure the impact of the pandemic on public servants, partnerships with key stakeholders, and preparation for census 2021. The Chief Statistician noted that despite great progress, challenges remain particularly in the area of data integration, data flows and reducing silos to create greater quality and insights for Canadians. The CS noted the important role of the Council in advising the agency and in supporting improvements to the national statistical system. The CS also introduced the Assistant Chief Statisticians, who through a round table, would go on to share additional details in terms of the context and challenges facing the agency.
Each Assistant Chief Statistician (ACS) provided a short summary of their priorities, challenges and areas of alignment with the CSAC's draft work plan. Members' interventions centred around the agency's ability to modernize in the face of significant and systemic change: societal shifts towards greater diversity and inclusion and an increased emphasis on disaggregated data collection, a shifting framework on privacy and public acceptability, changes to the legal landscape, data access and sharing with an ever increasing number of data providers, challenges with social perspectives on data collection, changes in business processes, information management and enabling infrastructure (cloud), all while preparing for census 2021 in the midst of a national health crisis.
Council members commended Statistics Canada for their work, and asked the CS and ACSs how the council can be most helpful in its provision of advice. Topics were raised including: building data requirements into planning, perspectives on amendments to the Statistics Act, investments in data access infrastructure, acceleration of data science work through recruitment of top talent, social acceptability and privacy, the importance of partnerships, and raising awareness about the critical importance of having a national statistical office. The Chief Statistician noted that Council members' advice would be particularly helpful in terms of identifying gaps in perspectives that the agency should consider, the identification of new partnerships, strategic framing, the agency's data stewardship role, and overall communications and engagement to enable the agency.
Dr. Ramos shared with council members the proposed outline for the working groups. Working group 1 is to focus on the enabling role of Statistics Canada, led by Jan Kestle, with Gail Mc Donald, David Chaundy and Howard Ramos as members. Working group 2 is to focus on the data spine/data core, led by Dr. Celine Le Bourdais, with Gurmeet Ahluwalia, Dr. Michael Wolfson and Howard Ramos as members. The last working group will be focusing on Data Gaps, this is led by Annette Hester with Dr. Michael Wolfson, Dr. Celine Le Bourdais, Gail McDonald and Howard Ramos as members.
Dr. Ramos noted that the topics of the working groups intended to help address the needs of Statistics Canada, and are geared towards deeper conversations with the intent of bringing back findings to the broader Council for discussion and strategic positioning. Members discussed the need to be focused on a small number of key issues, and to be purposeful and strategic given the timelines. Council members discussed the potential of identifying partnerships and seeking perspectives from other institutions or government departments to inform discussions.
Dr. Ramos thanked council members for the discussion. Council members agreed to proceed with the working groups as discussed. Working group 1 will meet first and report back to the group on its findings. This work will inform the next steps and discussions for working groups 2 and 3. The CSAC secretariat will work with council members to schedule the working groups and arrange next steps.
PDF Version (PDF, 889.67 KB)
Statistics Canada evaluates programs like the Virtual Data Lab (VDL) project to ensure that they align with user needs and related internal processes are effective and efficient. The evaluation was conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board's Policy on Results (2016) and Statistics Canada's Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan (2019–20 to 2023–24).
The formative evaluation examined whether existing VDL assessments were adequately comprehensive in their coverage, and whether findings and recommendations from these assessments were integrated into the design, delivery, strategic planning and implementation of the VDL project. In addition, the evaluation assessed the extent to which performance measurement and risk assessment frameworks have been implemented. Formative evaluations, the approach taken here, are conducted during program implementation in order to gather insights on how to improve or strengthen program implementation.
The conducting phase of the evaluation was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the findings and recommendations do not consider the activities or decisions that took place after March 2020.
Building on the foundation of the research data centres (RDC) and the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER), Statistics Canada created the VDL pilot that—in its end state—will provide remote access to detailed, anonymized social and business microdata for research and analysis through a secure cloud-based interface.
The continuum of access begins with less sensitive, self-service access and ends with most sensitive, restricted access:
Research data centres, the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research, Virtual Data Labs - Secure Statistics Canada physical environments are made available to accredited researchers and federal government employees to access anonymized microdata for research purposes, ensuring that all personal information is removed from outputs.
The Five Safes framework is a holistic approach toward data and risk management. It is used to mitigate security risks, protect respondents and maintain data confidentiality. Used internationally, it originates from the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics. The framework ensures security measures are in place and followed.
The figure depicts the five safes along with 4 elements that tie the safes together. Overarching the safes is the governance. The five safes are considered in combination and on a sliding scale, depending on the type of researcher, access and data.
The five safes are:
The 4 elements are:
The user process from start to finish:
Since the end of the reference period for the evaluation (March 2020), the VDL Project team has launched and completed a variety of initiatives to meet urgent emerging needs and at the same time accelerate project development. These initiatives included: launching an interim access solution to facilitate COVID-19 research; piloting a cloud environment for a project on opioids with federal partners; working closely with governing bodies to approve frameworks and approaches; and creating and revising key documents such as contracts and agreements to ensure they reflected the VDL framework and governance. The team also updated the project plan to account for progress in several areas.
May 20, 2021 – Ottawa, ON – Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada thanks all Canadians who have completed their 2021 Census to date. Millions of households have responded to the questionnaires safely online, on paper or over the phone. Where needed, some visits were carried out to drop off invitation letters, and enumerators adhered to strict health and safety protocols.
In late May, Statistics Canada enumerators will begin follow-ups with dwellings from which completed questionnaires have not yet been received. Every attempt will be made by Statistics Canada employees to reach households by phone before enumerators conduct in-person visits to remind residents to complete the census and offer assistance.
Enumerators visiting dwellings will follow a new no-contact protocol. Under this protocol, no interviews will be conducted inside the respondent's dwelling and no census employee from Statistics Canada is permitted to visit or enter institutional collective dwellings, especially the dwellings housing residents who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, such as seniors' residences. In accordance with guidelines from public health authorities, interviews will be outdoors and physically distanced and census employees will be required to wear masks, and hand sanitizer will also be provided to employees so they may frequently disinfect their hands.
It’s not too late for households to make their census contact-free by completing it online, on paper or over the phone. Households can still contact the Census Help Line at 1-855-340-2021 to request a secure access code or at 1-877-885-2021 to receive a paper questionnaire. Answers to many questions are also available on the census website.
Information from the census ensures that communities have the information they need to plan services that support employment, schools, public transit and hospitals. Millions of Canadians have counted themselves in already—have you?
Contacts
For more information, contact Media Relations at 613-951-4636, or at statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.
PDF version (PDF, 682.96 KB)
Statistics Canada evaluates programs like the Consumer Price Index to ensure that products align with user needs and related internal processes are effective and efficient.
The objective of the evaluation was to provide a neutral, evidence-based analysis of the relevance of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and its complementary indexes to municipal governments (MGs); the effectiveness of communication strategies related to the CPI; and the extent to which the planning, design and implementation of innovative activities were effective and aligned with Statistics Canada's modernization initiative. The conducting phase of the evaluation was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the findings and recommendations do not consider the activities or decisions that took place after March 2020.
The CPI measures price changes over a period of time for a "fixed basket"—or a fixed set—of goods and services consumed by Canadian households. The goods and services in the CPI basket are divided into 8 major components:
Statistics Canada's agency wide modernization initiative strives for greater and faster access to needed statistical products for Canadians.
For the innovation projects and activities evaluated, it was found that they were aligned with the modernization agenda, with three of the five pillars particularly emphasized.
Since the end of the reference period for the evaluation (March 2020), the CPD continued to calculate the official CPI based on the fixed basket approach; however, the division recognized that a new series analyzing shifts in consumer purchasing patterns would provide valuable insight on the impact of COVID-19. Using various sources of expenditure data, the CPD estimated adjusted consumer expenditure basket weights and an adjusted price index. This was made possible through the division's innovative work using scanner data, aggregate expenditure data, household final consumption expenditure data and other sources of information. Other data and analysis releases include Canadian Consumers Prepare for COVID-19, Canadian Consumers Adapt to COVID-19: A Look at Canadian Grocery Sales up to April 11, and Monthly average retail prices for select products, by province.
On August 21, 2019, the agency released the Consumer Price Index Portal as a part of its suite of portals. The CPI Portal showcases the CPI Data Visualization Tool, the most recently released key indicators, a variety of featured products, buttons to easily access CPI products, and serves as a bulletin board for information about the CPI.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures price changes over a period of time for a "fixed basket"—or a fixed set—of goods and services consumed by Canadian households. Statistics Canada publishes CPI-related indexes on a monthly and annual basis. Other CPI data products, such as updates to the CPI reference manual, analytical and technical papers, and data visualizations, are disseminated at various frequencies throughout the year. The CPI is used by a number of public, private, and not-for-profit organizations, as well as by the media, researchers and individual Canadians, to monitor inflation, guide fiscal and monetary policies, index payments, and adjust contracts, among other things.
This evaluation was conducted by Statistics Canada in accordance with the Treasury Board's Policy on Results (2016) and Statistics Canada's Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan (2019/2020 to 2023/2024). The primary objective of the evaluation was to provide a neutral, evidence-based analysis of the relevance of the CPI and its complementary indexes to municipal governments (MGs) and organizations supporting MGs; the effectiveness of communication strategies related to the CPI; and the extent to which the planning, design and implementation of innovation activities were effective and aligned with Statistics Canada's modernization initiative. It should be noted that the conducting phase of the evaluation, during which all data for the report were collected, was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the findings and recommendations do not consider the activities or decisions that took place after March 2020.
The evaluation found that Statistics Canada was the main source of CPI information for MGs and organizations supporting MGs. The CPI's related indexes, including the city indexes, were used at the municipal level for indexation, policy support, budgeting, reporting, and in some cases the creation of a municipal price index. There was limited use of the inter-city indexes by some users and interpretability was identified as an area for improvement—more details on concepts and the use of plain language would be beneficial. In terms of gaps, the evaluation found that more detailed geographic data and index categories were desired by interviewees. Program representatives indicated that they were aware of the gaps and that they continue to pursue alternative sources of reliable information to address them.
In terms of communication activities, the CPD is transitioning away from a dissemination culture focused primarily on traditional vehicles such as The Daily and the Integrated Metadatabase, towards a more strategic communication culture aimed at leveraging a variety of communication tools and channels – such as using social media to broaden its communications. Another example is the launch of the CPI portal in August 2019 which includes: the CPI Data Visualization Tool, recently released key indicators, a variety of featured products, direct access to CPI products, and information on new products and activities. To evaluate the effectiveness of new communication activities, the division will need to develop metrics and performance measures.
All projects and activities reviewed were aligned with the modernization initiative and expected results. They focussed on increasing the use of data from alternative sources, integrating data, and on building capacity. The CPD is sharing information internationally and across the agency, as well as leveraging best practices and lessons learned. Governance and risk management are in place to monitor projects and the implementation of an agile approach (e.g., "network of teams") was effective, however, governance and risk management practices for activities could be improved. Finally, performance measurement could be strengthened.
The evaluation proposed three recommendations:
Since the end of the reference period for the evaluation (March 2020), the CPD has taken a number of significant steps to address challenges emerging from COVID-19. Beginning in April 2020, the collection and compilation of the CPI were impacted by measures designed to limit the spread of COVID-19, as in-person field collection was conducted remotely, and imputation strategies were required to address an increased number of temporary business closures and out-of-stock products. The strategies were implemented according to international guidelines, and following consultations with other national statistical organizations.
The CPD continued to calculate the official CPI based on the fixed basket approach; however, the division recognized that a new analytical series examining shifts in consumer purchasing patterns would provide valuable insight on the impact of COVID-19. Using various sources of expenditure data, Statistics Canada, in partnership with the Bank of Canada, estimated adjusted consumer expenditure basket weights and an adjusted price index, reflecting shifts in consumption patterns during the pandemic. The ability to respond to this data need was made possible through the CPD's innovative work on scanner data, aggregate expenditure data, household final consumption expenditure data and other sources of information. Scanner data allowed for timely and insightful analysis on how Canadian Consumers Prepare for COVID-19 and how Canadian Consumers Adapt to COVID-19: A Look at Canadian Grocery Sales up to April 11 as well as the dissemination of more detailed data tables on Monthly average retail prices for select products, by province.
| Geography | Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 202003 | 202004 | 202005 | 202006 | 202007 | 202008 | 202009 | 202010 | 202011 | 202012 | 202101 | 202102 | 202103 | |
| percentage | |||||||||||||
| Canada | 5.52 | 1.21 | 0.75 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.27 | 0.28 | 0.41 | 0.59 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 3.79 | 2.03 | 1.30 | 1.05 | 1.01 | 0.47 | 0.77 | 1.84 | 0.34 | 0.61 | 1.63 | 0.87 | 0.87 |
| Prince Edward Island | 464.61 | 52.43 | 11.92 | 9.11 | 8.64 | 1.14 | 0.92 | 1.45 | 1.10 | 2.32 | 3.44 | 1.62 | 21.77 |
| Nova Scotia | 36.92 | 4.09 | 3.94 | 0.88 | 1.67 | 1.49 | 0.50 | 0.99 | 0.39 | 1.18 | 1.23 | 0.57 | 0.54 |
| New Brunswick | 22.28 | 2.39 | 2.08 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 2.29 | 0.63 | 0.62 | 0.42 | 0.71 | 1.38 | 0.83 | 0.84 |
| Quebec | 10.28 | 1.93 | 1.66 | 0.70 | 0.77 | 0.49 | 0.62 | 0.75 | 0.57 | 0.87 | 0.97 | 1.18 | 0.97 |
| Ontario | 9.15 | 2.24 | 1.33 | 0.63 | 0.70 | 0.29 | 0.34 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.80 | 1.27 |
| Manitoba | 17.55 | 5.60 | 2.47 | 0.81 | 0.64 | 0.49 | 0.47 | 1.11 | 1.25 | 1.13 | 1.24 | 0.60 | 0.63 |
| Saskatchewan | 20.06 | 5.72 | 3.08 | 0.58 | 1.57 | 0.73 | 1.05 | 1.11 | 1.11 | 0.95 | 1.22 | 0.74 | 0.64 |
| Alberta | 13.85 | 2.62 | 1.76 | 0.63 | 0.52 | 0.26 | 0.60 | 0.40 | 0.38 | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.47 | 1.14 |
| British Columbia | 14.23 | 3.21 | 2.19 | 1.03 | 0.90 | 0.73 | 0.62 | 0.76 | 0.69 | 0.43 | 0.51 | 0.68 | 0.93 |
| Yukon Territory | 35.75 | 10.07 | 3.77 | 3.06 | 2.06 | 2.16 | 2.02 | 3.50 | 2.36 | 5.55 | 5.47 | 2.81 | 3.82 |
| Northwest Territories | 20.02 | 6.95 | 3.24 | 2.48 | 2.31 | 2.73 | 2.63 | 2.68 | 2.06 | 4.31 | 6.75 | 2.85 | 3.97 |
| Nunavut | 3.97 | 315.64 | 5.07 | 3.93 | 1.83 | 2.93 | 0.65 | 2.47 | 73.35 | 2.76 | 2.50 | 2.38 | 2.45 |
Purpose: The purpose of this linkage is to create a reweighted LFS-IMDB database covering the 2002 to 2018 period and using this database to estimate labour market indicators (including, but not limited to, unemployment rates, participation rates, wages) by IMDB variables (including, but not limited to, immigration category and knowledge of official languages). The LFS-IMDB database will allow for the estimation of previously unknown longitudinal labour market indicators in Canada, such as labour force statuses of landed immigrants by category of immigration and by knowledge of official languages, without incurring any additional response burden on the respondents.
Output: A series of non-confidential aggregate statistical tables will be provided to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). All statistical tables will be vetted, to ensure conformity to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and conformity to the high quality standards of Statistics Canada, by Statistics Canada employees before being sent outside of Statistics Canada premises. In accordance with the Directive on Management of Statistical Microdata Files, the LFS-IMDB database will be retained on Statistics Canada premises until no longer required, at which time it will be destroyed.
Purpose: This project will assess the feasibility of linking data on workers from the Longitudinal Worker File (LWF) available at the Research Data Centres (RDCs) with data on employment insurance from the EI Status Vector File (EISV) available at the RDCs. If the record linkage is found to be of satisfactory quality, a record linkage key between the two files will be placed in the RDCs allowing researchers to link the LWF and EISV files. These linked files will cover 10% of Canadian taxfilers. The resulting linked data will provide a comprehensive view of individuals' interactions with the labour market and government Employment Insurance programs.
Output: A LWF – EISV linkage key will be made available for users at the RDCs. Once the RDC user combines the analytical linked data for research purposes using the linkage key, methodological and analytical findings resulting from the linked data will be used to prepare research papers for publication. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics that will not result in the identification of an individual person will be released outside of Statistics Canada and the Research Data Centres.
Purpose: The goal of this initiative is to create a database to facilitate research on topics related to temporary foreign workers and their impact on the Canadian labour market. The proposed linkage combines data from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program administrative files and the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database (CEEDD). This linkage will allow information on both the temporary foreign workers and firms that hire temporary foreign workers to be put together.
Output: Analytical findings from these linked datasets will be used to prepare research papers for publication and dissemination at ministries, research conferences and seminars. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics that cannot result in the identification of an individual, business, or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to build a new microsimulation model which can be used to model retirement income. The current deliverable is a model which can be used to perform simulations of future outcomes of the Canada Pension Plan, as well as expected impacts of any changes to its provisions. It is expected that the model will be expanded in future development to encompass the rest of the retirement income system. This will allow governments and researchers to examine the outcomes of possible Canada Pension Plan policy changes and to project outcomes.
Output: The model, once built, will be available to the public. The development of the model will require both the creation of starting population databases, and the model development necessary to project the demographic and socio-economic evolution of the starting population into the future. Two versions of the starting population databases will be developed, a non-confidential version that will be publically releasable, and a larger, confidential database that the model will only be able to access at the RDCs. The confidential starting population database will not be available for other uses.
Purpose: Announced in Budget 2016, the federal government committed to developing a Performance Measurement Framework for Business Accelerators and Incubators (BAIs) in partnership with leading BAIs. As a core component of this measurement framework, this project proposes to link the enterprise data collected from BAIs to the LFE in order to enable the production of key performance indicators of the impact BAIs have on their client enterprises. Active partners from the BAI community have been heavily engaged in the development and execution of this initiative and expectations are high in terms of the value that will be added through this partnership with the Government.
The proposed project will link a set of seven external enterprise databases to Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment to build a profile of BAIs client enterprises. To do so, researchers from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Small Business Branch will arrange for BAIs enterprise data to be provided to Statistics Canada's Centre for Special Business Projects for the linkage.
Output: A custom analytical report, based on the customized research database extracted from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, will be produced by deemed employees of Statistics Canada.
Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analysis that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: In 2018, the Government of Canada announced as part of its Innovation and Skills Plan, the creation of Economic Strategy Tables to support economic growth in six key sectors. One of these sectors was the Health and Bio-Sciences (Life Sciences) industry. Since the Life Sciences industry is not defined according to the North American Industry Classification System, statistics on its economic performance are not readily available. Linking Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's list of Life Sciences firms to Statistics Canada microdata will allow the creation of aggregate statistics for the industry, analysis of the Life Sciences innovation ecosystem, and the assessment of government initiatives to encourage innovation and growth. Statistics Canada sources to be linked include: Business Register, T2 Corporation Income Tax Return, T4 Statement of Remuneration Paid, Payroll Deduction Accounts, Trade by Exporter Characteristics, Trade by Importer Characteristics, and T2 Claim for Scientific Research and Experimental Development Carried out in Canada.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics.
Purpose: The main objective of this project is to produce two custom tabulations for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to compare the characteristics and the economic performance of firms before and after receiving financing support related to the program stream entitle: "Trade Show Program". The analysis will be based mainly on research dataset created through the linkage of AAFC programs data to Statistics Canada Linkable File Environment (LFE). The comparison will be a breakdown by industrial sector for the referred period 2004-2017.
This collaborative project between AAFC and the Centre for Special Business Projects will demonstrate how leveraging data linkage methods to create and analyze research datasets can support ongoing AAFC policy and program development.
Output: The output will be in the form of profiling tables which compare the economic performance of businesses that received AAFC financing support for pre-treatment and post-treatment performance. The linked AAFC list of businesses will be housed at Statistics Canada's Centre for Special Business Project (CSBP).
A research dataset will be produced and the full integrated database will be used by CSBP to produce a custom-designed table of non-confidential aggregate statistics for the client. The output of this project will not be sent to the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER).
Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: This research project will provide a unique and powerful profile of Canadian Tri-Agency Graduate Scholarship, Fellowship, and other related award recipients, as well as their performance while in school and then in the labour market.
The results from this research will be useful to the universities participating in the research project as they will be able to have a clearer picture of how different graduates (successful applicants, unsuccessful applicants, and non-award applicants) perform in school and in the labour market.
The results will also be useful to the Tri-Agency, which is supporting the project. They will be able to better understand the performance of their award recipients, and adjust their programs if necessary based on the results of this research.
Policy makers will also be able to use the results to review how funding is allocated and whether more or less resources should be allocated to different groups and/or institutions.
Finally, students will be able to rely on the results to make informed decisions on their academic journey and later on in their careers.
Because the student data will go back 15 years, this project will represent the longest time-series of linked student and labour market data available to date.
Output: Findings will be presented to various stakeholder groups in the area of postsecondary education, in order to better inform them on the schooling and labour market outcomes of graduate students and how Tri-Agency is related to these outcomes, and allowing them to incorporate this knowledge into their understanding of postsecondary education and their own related activities.
All reports submitted to Tri-Agency will also be published on the Education Policy Research Initiative (EPRI) website, where they will be freely available to the general public. EPRI will also present the findings at various academic and non-academic professional conferences such as the Canadian Economics Association's annual conference, various international economic conferences, and both Canadian and international non-academic forums. The findings presented in each report will also be presented in papers written for submission to academic journals.
In addition to the research planned by EPRI, the participating universities plan to conduct their own research projects using the merged files. Details of these projects are still to be determined, and will be reviewed on a case by case basis for approval by the Canadian Centre for Education Statistics, within the parameters and timeframe established by the partners at the outset of the project.
Purpose: To estimate the supply of workers in the New Brunswick labour market, particularly the replacement demand, that is, the workers needed to replace those who are no longer employed in the province. The focus will be on three groups: stayers (workers employed in the same industry for one or more years), leavers (workers who leave the labour market or industry) and entrants (workers entering the labour market, including those returning to the workforce).
Output: All access to the linked microdata will be restricted to Statistics Canada personnel whose work activities require access. Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Actt will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Findings will be used in research papers and in presentations at workshops and conferences.
Purpose: The proposed project would link the T3010 and T5013 tax forms to the Linkable File Environment of Statistics Canada to produce and improve multiple current statistical indicators used in multiple Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP) projects such as the Cooperative and Social Innovation and Social Financing projects led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
A dataset will be produced and the full integrated database will be maintained in Statistics Canada's Canadian Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP).
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
These will include the Entrepreneurship Indicators Database (EID) project which provides estimates and the number of high growth enterprises in Canada, used by ISED and the Privy Council Office to evaluate the Budget 2017 and Budget 2018 commitment to "double the number of high-growth companies".
Purpose: The CPSS is an efficient and timely method for collecting information without the need to repeat previously collected information. The purpose of this project is to link the basic information collected from the CPSS iterations to their LFS responses.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregated data and analytical products that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Linked analytical datasets (without any personal identifiers) to be accessible through the Research Data Centres.
Purpose: The purpose of this linkage is to provide data about the number of employees in the agricultural sector, mainly by farm type, and province. The linkage result will help inform decision-making about food supply and food security related to the Covid-19 crisis.
Output: Non-confidential data tables providing information on employment in the agricultural sector and profiling the agricultural employees from 2015 onward will be released.
Purpose: The main objective of this project is to produce custom tabulations for Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to profile the recipients of CEBA. For comparative purposes, this project may also create tabulations showing characteristics, including economic performance, of similar businesses that are not part of the program.
The comparison will be a breakdown by industrial sector, geography, size, and, when possible, growth stage for the period 2009-2019 (and future years as the data becomes available).
Output: The output will be in the form of profiling tables which describe businesses that received CEBA financing support. Additional tables showing post-treatment performance may be created when post-financing outcome data becomes available. The linked list of businesses will be housed at Statistics Canada's Centre for Special Business Project (CSBP).
A full integrated database will be used by CSBP to produce a custom-designed table of non-confidential aggregate statistics for the client. The output of this project will not be sent to the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER).
Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: The main objective of this project is to produce custom tabulations for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to profile and describe the recipients of CSBC. For comparative purposes, this project may also create tabulations showing characteristics, including indicators on economic performance, of similar businesses that are not part of the program.
Output: The output will be in the form of profiling tables. Additional tables showing comparisons of pre- and post-COVID-19 performance may be created. The linked list of businesses will be housed at Statistics Canada's Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP).
CSBP will create a database combining information from the CSBC and the LFE to produce custom-designed tables of non-confidential aggregate statistics for the client. The output of this project will not be sent to the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER).
Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create a linked analytical dataset that will include additional socio-economic characteristics for COVID-19 related deaths. The project will link the provisional deaths from the Canadian Vital Statistics – Death database (CVSD) from January 1, 2020 onwards to the 2016 Census of Population and the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB). The integrated dataset will fill an existing data gap and will facilitate analysis of deaths by sub-population characteristics as well as neighbourhood characteristics. The dataset supports the Government of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. All products from the linked data will be disseminated in accordance with Statistics Canada's policies, guidelines and standards. The analytical file will not contain any personal identifiers. Outputs from this file may include a wide range of data and analytical products.
Purpose: The purpose of the project is to create the National Accounts Longitudinal Microdata File (NALMF), a database that can be used to replicate and extend the analysis and research conducted by the Economic Analysis Division (EAD) at Statistics Canada.
The linked file will be comprised of derived analytical variables used in EAD's analytical studies and the raw variables that are needed to derive them. The linked database will be updated and extended annually, and will include new derived variables introduced in published analytical studies. The NALMF database will comprise a select number of variables derived from a wide range of data files, including the Business Register, administrative data from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), administrative data files from the CRA that have been further processed by subject-matter divisions at Statistics Canada, Trade by Exporter Characteristics, Trade by Importer Characteristics, Canadian Border Services Agency customs data, the Government Finance Statistics, and the PATSTAT database on patenting in Canada and by Canadians. It will include firm-level variables derived from individual-level information, such as the fraction of workforce that are women and the gender identity of the firm owner.
Output: The longitudinal files that will serve the internal and external researchers will conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. Only aggregate statistics and analysis conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Access will be granted to Statistics Canada staff with valid authorizations. External users will be able to access the linked data on Statistics Canada premises under the Directive on the Use of Deemed Employees, MOUs with the Canadian Centre for Data development and Economic Research (CDER) and conditions authorized by the Microdata Access Management Committee (MAMC). Synthetic files will be created for external researchers for direct access, while the original files will only be accessed via batch mode with no viewing function.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to continue surveillance of the mortality and cancer incidence experience of Imperial Oil Limited (IOL) employees. These outcomes provide knowledge about the overall health status of the workforce and potential chronic health effects, such as cancers which can take decades to develop. If needed, more focused analyses related to particular work areas and jobs can be initiated on an expedient basis. The information can also help guide health care screening and monitoring programs for employees deemed to be at higher risk.
Output: The aggregate study findings will be shared with management and employees at Imperial Oil Ltd. and published in reports and scholarly journals.
Purpose: This project aims to attribute language variables from the short-form census to business owners from the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database in order to identify the businesses of official language minorities (OLM). Different definitions of OLM businesses will be tested in order to identify those that are best suited for different analytical needs. In further projects, we intend to use these definitions to produce profiles and analytical reports on OLM businesses and their characteristics.
Output: The main output will be an analytical report provided to Innovation, Science and Economic development, the client of this project. This report will include frequency distribution tables of business characteristics (size, revenue, industry, geography) that will allow the comparison of the OLM business definitions tested. Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The linked data will only be made accessible for Statistics Canada analysts associated with the project. The output of this project will not be sent to the Research Data Centre (RDC) or to Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER).
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to produce historical labour market information for population groups designated as visible minorities. This historical data will complement population group data collected directly in LFS, which is scheduled to begin in July 2020.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregated data and analytical products that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: This project aims to provide evidence of wealth effects on entrepreneurship by comparing various business outcomes for incorporated and unincorporated businesses owned by lottery winners. It relies on the linkage of data on lottery winners from a Canadian province from 2004 to 2014 to the Canadian-Employer-Employee Dynamics Database (CEEDD) over the 2001-2018 time period. The Lottery winners' dataset provides the identity and place of residence of the lottery winner, the amount of the lottery win, date of lottery payment, lottery product type, and the number of winners. CEEDD provides information about the businesses owned as well as socio-economic characteristics of the lottery winners and their spouses.
The linked database will be used to: compare the number and performance (number of employees, total wages paid, total revenue, net income) of businesses owned by the lottery winners and spouses.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics.
Purpose: This project exploits the revision to the Canadian Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) in 2009, to identify and document how the increase in the relative cost of bankruptcy changed bankruptcy filing behaviour. For this project, data from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) Consumer Proposal from 2006 to 2014 will be linked to the Canadian-Employer-Employee Dynamics Database (CEEDD) over the 2001-2018 time period. The OSB Consumer Proposal dataset provides the identity, place of residence, date of birth, and detailed information about the filer (e.g., gender, age, occupation, debt structure, asset holding) and the filing (e.g., reason for filing, date, type, payment schedules). CEEDD provides information about the businesses owned as well as socio-economic characteristics of the filers and their spouses.
The linked database will be used to assess changes in business ownership status, labour force participation, composition of personal income (e.g., self-employment income) of individuals in the OSB Consumer Proposal dataset as well as their spouses.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics.
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread labour market disruptions across Canada and the world resulting in an immediate policy need to measure and monitor the full extent of its economic impact on Canadians in a timely manner. The Labour Force Survey is Canada's primary data source for tracking monthly labour market trends including wages and salaries. Because of the labour market disruptions, many Canadians maybe relying on income sources other than wages to maintain their standard of living. The integrated dataset will be used to provide a timelier estimate of income and from a fuller picture of more income sources of Canadians which will help identify at-risk groups and whether other income sources are adequately compensating for wage losses.
Output: All access to the linked microdata file will be restricted to Statistics Canada personnel and deemed employees whose work activities require access to prepare estimates or conduct research. Only non-confidential aggregate data or tables conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Research reports and presentations such as infographics will be generated from the analysis file, vetted for non-disclosure and released.
Security measures for the linking keys, identifiers and analysis file will conform to Statistics Canada's policies and standards. All direct identifiers will be excluded from the analysis file constructed by this linkage. The analysis file will be made available to Statistics Canada employees and deemed employees with a specific and acceptable research project. The analysis file will be retained in accordance with the Directive on the Management of Statistical Microdata Files, until no longer required, at which time it will be destroyed.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create an integrated analytical dataset that will allow researchers:
The integrated dataset will fill an existing data gap and will facilitate analysis of a cohort of cancer survivors compared to a cohort of controls by sub-population characteristics as well as neighbourhood characteristics.
Output: The integrated data will be available to deemed employees to use in a Research Data Centre. All data and analytical products to be released outside of Statistics Canada will conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. The integrated data and linkage keys will be retained by Statistics Canada in accordance with the Directive on the Management of Statistical Microdata Files.
Purpose: Empirical evidence on the impact of firms' market power and corporate concentration on capital investment and labour demand is central for antitrust regulators to designing effective competition policies. The proposed study will examine the effects of firms' market power through merger and acquisition (M&A) activities on firms' capital investment and employment decisions. It will make use of the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database between 2002 and 2017, linked to Refinitiv's M&A data. It will provide the first empirical evidence of market power and corporate concentration on the Canadian economy. The results from this study will help policymakers design more effective competition policies. They, in turn, will benefit consumers in lower prices from a reduced monopoly power of large anti-competitive firms, and benefit workers in their hiring and salary negotiation from a reduced monopsony power. Moreover, understanding which types of firms will change investment after an M&A will help policymakers target specific firms when designing competition policies, which will help firms via increased innovation, and ultimately consumers via cheaper and higher quality goods.
The study has been reviewed and funded by the Social Sciences and humanities Research Council.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics related to the project's goal of examining the impact of market concentration on the capital investment, employment and wages.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create an integrated analytical dataset that will allow researchers to:
Output: The integrated data will be available to deemed employees to use in a Research Data Centre. All data and analytical products to be released outside of Statistics Canada will conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. The integrated data and linkage keys will be retained by Statistics Canada in accordance with the Directive on the Management of Statistical Microdata Files.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to build the capacity for identifying the primary risk factors and the sub-populations at greatest risk of an overdose in Simcoe-Muskoka, ON. It will create a better understanding of the characteristics of those individuals at the heart of the opioid crisis. This work is being conducted for Health Canada and the Simcoe-Muskoka community to assist them in identifying the root of the illicit drug epidemic and the individuals most at risk of overdose, as well as deriving a typology for the classification of incidents and individuals at risk of opioid related overdose.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that will not result in the identification of an individual person, business or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada. High-level findings may be reported in the form of presentations, data tables, and data visualization dashboards to Health Canada and various Simcoe-Muskoka partners.
Purpose: The federal personal income tax (PIT) system recognizes the additional costs borne by persons with disabilities and provides tax relief to this population through several tax expenditures (e.g., the disability support deduction and Disability Tax Credit). However, due to the specific eligibility criteria of these measures, using them as proxies for identifying persons with disabilities in tax data may underestimates this population in Canada. On the other hand, while the Canadian Survey on Disability may allow a better identification of persons with disabilities, it contains very few details on the income earned and taxes paid by this population. Using these two data sources separately limits the ability to study the impacts of federal PIT expenditures on persons with disabilities.
In this context, it is assumed that a merge between the Canadian Survey on Disability and tax data represents a good strategy to conduct such a study, learn more and make information available to the public on the benefits of PIT expenditures for Canadians with disabilities.
Output: The plan is to publish results of this analysis as part of a Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) study in a future edition of the Finance Canada's Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.
Purpose: The Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP) will receive a list of participants in NRC-IRAP. These participants will be matched to the Business Register (BR) in order to obtain a unique business identifier for each participant. The unique business identifier (Operating Entity Number) will be used to link administrative data from a variety of sources to produce a series of business- and labour-related indicators in order to generate the following outputs.
Output: A full integrated database will be used by CSBP to produce a custom-designed table of non-confidential aggregate statistics for the client. Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: The purpose of the project is to evaluate the coverage, accuracy and currency of the National Register of Electors (the Register) maintained by Elections Canada. Certain data elements from the Register will be linked to Canadian Vital Statistics – Death records, Immigration records, Visitors records and Labour Force Survey respondent records to conduct the evaluation and produce estimates at a variety of geographic levels (Canada, province/territory, electoral district). The results of the study will inform Elections Canada on the quality of the Register.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregated data and an analytical report that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada to Elections Canada.
Purpose: The main objective of this project is to produce custom tabulations for the City of Vancouver) to describe approved CEWS claimants in Vancouver. Microdata in the form of lists of wage subsidy claims by businesses is regularly provided to Statistics Canada from the Canada Revenue Agency and permissions have been granted for the Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP) staff to have access to this microdata. The linkage of CEWS businesses to the LFE is expected to be conducted using solely the Business Number (BN). The BN exists on both the CEWS microdata file and the LFE microdata. However, probabilistic methods may be used as needed.
Output: The output will be in the form of profiling tables which describe enterprises with approved CEWS claims in the City of Vancouver.
The tables will show the following variables:
The dimensions these variables will be aggregated over will be
The linked list of businesses will be housed at Statistics Canada's Centre for Special Business Project (CSBP).
A full integrated database will be used by CSBP to produce a custom-designed table of non-confidential aggregate statistics for the client. The output of this project will not be sent to the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER).
Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: Existing research assessing the effectiveness of federal government employment equity labour programs is limited. They lack the causal identification of program effects and the inferences drawn cannot be easily extended to more detailed levels within industries. The proposed study will evaluate two ESDC's programs under the Employment Equity Act (EEA) – the Legislative Employment Equity Program (LEEP) and the Federal Contractors Program (FCP) – in promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. It will make use of Statistics Canada's Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database (CEEDD) between 2001 and 2017, linked to the LEEP and FCP. By leveraging the recent advancement in casual research methodologies and firm-level data, it will provide first empirical evidence on the causal impact of these programs on workplace equity and the employment outcome of women, one of the four designated groups under EEA. The results from this study will inform potential reviews of Labour Programs in improving employment equity outcomes for workers in the federal labour jurisdiction. Moreover, key findings will be used to create research programs supporting the policy thinking in respect to programs under the EEA. In turn, they will help policymakers design more effective employment equity policies. Ultimately, these findings will be of benefit to the federal labour jurisdiction in promoting workplace equity, diversity and inclusivity.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics related to the project's goal of examining the causal impact of LEEP and FCP on workforce equity.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to estimate the size and provide a portrait of the socio-economic characteristics of the population of surviving military spouses who are not entitled to a survivor pension due to marriage or common-law reunion after the Veteran turned 60. The resulting aggregate data tables will provide insights and inform the development of new programs including the Veteran Survivors Fund.
Output: Aggregate statistical outputs and analyses will be released and available to the public. Outputs remain subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. Disclosure control rules will be applied in order to safeguard the privacy of individual Canadians' personal information. Data validation processes will be established in order to ensure the accuracy of all disseminated materials, including tabulations and analytical products.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to expand on research previously done by Statistics Canada on opioid overdoses in the City of Surrey and the province of British Columbia to the rest of Canada by leveraging existing administrative data sources. It will allow researchers to examine the characteristics of individuals who experienced drug overdoses and their socio-economic outcomes over time. The project will produce a set of longitudinal and intersectional indicators across the domains of Health, Income, Labour and Justice in order to gain deeper insight into the opioids crisis.
Output: The longitudinal and intersectional data file will include a Cohort of drug cases and a control group (2005 – most recent) along with intersectional and longitudinal measures. Two versions of the file are intended to be produced: (1) a Master microdata file, and (2) a Researcher's microdata file with enhanced privacy preservation.
Purpose: By integrating data from the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) and the 2016 Census of Population, this analytical dataset will provide important longitudinal information on the Indigenous population living off reserve in 2006. The APS and the Census are both rich sources of information that complement each other. For example, the 2006 APS includes content on household income, health care utilization, learning among children and youth aged 6 to 14, and participation in cultural activities, whereas the Census contains content on educational attainment, labour force participation and income. By combining these two sources of information, it is possible to examine the association between the experiences of Indigenous people in 2006 and outcomes in 2016. This is particularly important in the context of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action, specifically those relating to child welfare, education and health. The findings from this dataset will be relevant to the needs of Indigenous data users, including policy-makers, institutions, communities and indigenous organizations. Since this dataset combines existing data holdings, it is capable of extending the relevance of the 2006 APS without additional response burden.
Output: Only aggregate statistical outputs that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be disseminated. No personal identifiers will be included in the integrated analytical file, which will be made available to deemed employees of Statistics Canada, including researchers within the Research Data Centres (RDC). Access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process.
Purpose: This study is carried out on a cost-recovery basis by Statistics Canada for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Its purpose is to apply the methodological framework developed in the pilot phase (in fiscal years 2018-2020). The outputs will be aggregate-level statistical tables that will allow Fisheries and Oceans Canada to evaluate the financial performance of a subset of fishing fleets across Canada in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. This, in turn, will allow DFO to evaluate issues around licensing fee policy, Species At Risk Act (SARA), marine protected area regulations, programs to increase Indigenous participation, fleet management reforms, as well as analysis related to the contribution of the fish harvesting sector to regional and Canadian economies.
Output: Statistical tables will be prepared at the aggregate level while meeting the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. Only statistics such as averages, standard deviations, etc., will be provided to DFO. The linkage will be performed at Statistics Canada by Statistics Canada staff. The linked files will be kept on a secure, password-protected server and will only be maintained until no longer required for the project.
Purpose: The purpose of this data linkage is to address the current data gap on socio-economic data for COVID-19 testing in British Columbia. The project will link British Columbia's COVID-19 testing data to the 2016 Census of Population, the Longitudinal Immigration Database, and the Canadian Housing Statistics Project Analytical File. The resulting integrated dataset will be used to create aggregate statistics for British Columbia's Ministry of Health that will facilitate their analysis of COVID-19 testing and the results of those tests by sub-population and neighbourhood characteristics. This will support British Columbia's and the Government of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. All products from the linked data will be disseminated in accordance with Statistics Canada's policies, guidelines and standards. The analytical file will not contain any personal identifiers. Outputs from this file may include a wide range of data and analytical products. After the outputs have been produced, the cohort file and linked analytical files will be destroyed.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to produce enhanced insights from the Employment Insurance Statistics – Monthly (EIS) in order to better understand the labour market impacts of COVID-19 on EI beneficiaries. This includes, but is not limited to, producing EIS estimates by industry.
Output: Only non-confidential aggregated data and analytical products that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.
Purpose: Administrative data would be used as required when processing the data from the 2021 Census of Population.
Several changes will be implemented in the 2021 Census collection plan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, we are proactively exploring a statistical contingency plan based on increased, secure and appropriate use of administrative data to support the 2021 Census under exceptional circumstances. This plan would be implemented only if enumeration is not possible (or is significantly impacted) in a given region due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other natural disaster, and only when the quality of the administrative data available is deemed acceptable.
The purpose of using administrative data would be to impute data for households that do not respond to the 2021 Census, when good-quality administrative data are available. Administrative data would be used to impute the household size of the targeted non-respondent households, the date of birth and the sex of the residents.
During data processing and after collection, administrative data would be incorporated into the data from the questionnaires completed by other households responding to the 2021 Census of Population to help produce the total population counts and the counts by age and sex at birth.
The administrative data sources that would be linked are mostly data currently used at Statistics Canada in various statistical programs, including the Census of Population. These sources are primarily from the Canada Revenue Agency, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and the provincial and territorial birth, death and driver’s licence records.
Output: Administrative data would be integrated, as required, with the data from the completed questionnaires to produce standard dissemination products for the 2021 Census of Population. The data would be released only in aggregate form, in accordance with the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. The record linkage outputs will be kept in a secure directory on the Census Program Transformation Project servers. Only employees whose work requires it will have access to this directory, for the life of the files.
Purpose: The Postsecondary and Workplace Skills (PAWS) project will examine the relationship between skill level in postsecondary education and labour market outcomes. In particular, the project will focus on the assessment of critical thinking skills, which are believed to be important within both the postsecondary environment and the workplace.
The objective is to examine how the skill levels of final year students relate to labour market success.
The expected result is that Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) will have a better understanding of the critical thinking skills of postsecondary students, and how these skills are related to labour market success, as measured by labour force attachment and actual earnings. The results could provide the evidence base to inform ESDC and HEQCO policy and program development, as well as inform postsecondary education programs and practices in terms of helping students to develop and enhance critical thinking skills.
Output: The linked outcome file, with all identifiers removed, will be made available to the clients in the Federal Research Data Centre. A report will written by the Education Policy Research Initiative (EPRI) for internal dissemination at ESDC and HEQCO. The report may also be shared with external partners and hosted on the HEQCO and EPRI websites.
