Almost four out of 10 Canadians who don't have a job have completely given up hope of ever finding one, a new survey suggests.
In a poll carried out by Harris Poll and published Friday by employment agency Express Employment Professionals, the company surveyed 1,502 unemployed Canadians. None of them had a job, and not all of them were receiving EI benefits.
The results were eye-opening.
Some 39% of those polled were in agreement with the statement that "I've completely given up on looking for a job" with five per cent saying they "agree a lot" 11% saying they "agree somewhat" and 17% saying they "agree a little."
In the poll, which saw people respond to questions online over a week in April, more than a third responded they hadn't had a job interview in over a month. A full 13% of respondents said they hadn't had a job interview since 2012 or before — well over a calendar year ago.
The number of people who've been jobless for a year has increased by even more, from 46,000 in 2007 to 96,000 last year.
Numbers like that have the central bank worried. In its spring review, the Bank of Canada pointed out that while the jobless rate has fallen to 6.9%, the long-term share of the total unemployment rate is closer to 20%.
