A federal survey of Canadians shows widespread concern that the country is heading into a recession, with many citing rising costs and job insecurity as key factors.Blacklock's Reporter says researchers working for the Privy Council Office polled citizens on economic confidence and whether the government under Prime Minister Mark Carney was “headed in the right direction” on job creation. Findings from an October 6 report indicate respondents were nearly evenly split between believing the government was on the wrong track and those uncertain of its course.Participants generally felt the Canadian economy had performed better than some international peers but still had “significant room for improvement.” Nearly all focus group attendees predicted a recession in the near future, citing stagnant per capita growth, high costs for essentials such as groceries, and increasing layoffs in communities across the country.Most Canadians surveyed were unsure of the current unemployment rate, though many assumed it was high, particularly for younger workers. Youth unemployment among Canadians aged 15 to 24 currently stands at 14.2%, the highest since 2021, prompting concern about the long-term effects on career-building..The focus groups, conducted nationwide by Toronto-based pollster The Strategic Counsel under a $1.6 million contract, highlighted fears over the number of Canadians actively searching for work but unable to find it and the financial pressures this places on households.The economic anxieties reflected in the poll coincide with recent official data. Statistics Canada reported last Friday that gross domestic product fell 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025, while the Bank of Canada lowered its 2026 growth forecast on January 28. Governor Tiff Macklem warned that uncertainty around economic projections remains “unusually high,” with multiple risks facing the Canadian economy.
