How aware are they of programs?

The majority of interviewees are aware of programs in their communities where people can improve their reading, writing and math skills. There is not a great difference in awareness by age, sex, and education, although younger interviewees (18-29), women, and more educated (grades 11 and partial 12) interviewees tend to be more aware of programs than others.

Age, however, does playa role in awareness of the General Education Diploma. More than 75 per cent of interviewees under 30 are aware of the program, compared with about 30 per cent of those 65 or older.

Where do they get their income?

Just over half of interviewees cite employment as their main source of income. Other income sources, mainly pensions, are cited by almost 30 per cent.

Because a substantial proportion of our interviewees is at or beyond retirement age, the overall figures understate the employment rates among those in their economically active years.

Interviewees in two-parent households with children show the highest participation rate in permanent full-time employment at 53 per cent. Single parents have the lowest permanent full-time rate, 2.7 per cent, and are the most reliant on social assistance, 37 per cent.

More than 60 per cent of men 18 to 29 and 70 per cent of those 30 to 49 have permanent full-time jobs. This is almost double the rate for women.

How much do they earn?

More than half of respondents in single person households have incomes under $20,000. Among those in single person households, 33 per cent of men but only 11 per cent of women have incomes of $30,000 or more. Over 95 per cent of single mothers have incomes below $30,000, compared with 61 per cent of men who are single parents. In contrast, almost 50 per cent of respondents in two-parent households with children report household incomes of $40,000 or more.