Concerns about the financial viability of employers increased from 33% in August 2024 to 48% this month.
Vancouver, BC [February 12, 2025] – Only a third of Canadians continue to provide a positive review of the country’s financial standing, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 32% of Canadians (unchanged since a similar Research Co. survey conducted in August 2024) rate the economic conditions in Canada as “very good” or “good”, while 64% (=) consider them as “poor” or “very poor”.
Almost half of Canadians (48%, +14) think the Canadian economy will decline in the next six months, while 31% (-12) predict no changes and only 15% (=) expect a recovery.
“Canadians aged 55 and over are particularly pessimistic about the national economy,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Two thirds of Canada’s oldest adults (66%) expect a decline, compared to 48% of those aged 35-to-54 and 31% of those aged 18-to-34.”
More than half of Canadians (52%, +6) describe their own personal finances as “very good” or “good” right now—a proportion that rises to 58% among those aged 55 and over, 54% in Quebec and 53% in Ontario.
Practically half of Canadians (48%, +15) have worried “frequently” or “occasionally” in the past couple of months about their employer running into serious financial trouble.
Similar proportions of Canadians have also experienced concerns about being able to pay mortgage or rent (47%, +5), the value of their investments (47%, -5), unemployment affecting their household (45%, +3) and the safety of their savings (43%, -8).
Practically four-in-five Canadians expect higher prices for a week’s worth of groceries (78%, +2) and gasoline (78%, +1) in the next six months. Majorities also believe they will have to pay more for a new car (71%, +3), a new television set (61%, +8) and real estate (57%, -8).
More than two-in-five Canadians (45%, +4) trust federal leader of the opposition Pierre Poilievre to do the right thing to help the economy. The numbers are lower for both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (39%, +3) and Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem (also 39%, +4).
Poilievre’s rating as an economic manager is highest in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (50%), followed by Alberta (49%), Atlantic Canada (48%), Ontario (47%), Quebec (40%) and British Columbia (also 40%).
Trudeau’s numbers are better in Quebec (44%) and Ontario (43%), but drop in British Columbia (38%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (35%), Atlantic Canada (33%) and Alberta (30%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from February 3 to February 5, 2025, among 1,001 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca