Canadians are working about a week less a year than they used to because of an aging workforce, according to official statistics published yesterday.
"This decline was surprising since employment continued to be uncommonly strong despite slower economic growth than in the late 1990s," Statistics Canada said.
"This increase in hours lost was attributable to the aging of the workforce, since a major portion of the increase occurred among workers aged 45 and over."
The survey of approximately 100,000 Canadians over age 15 found that the trend was also fuelled by increases in part-time work, more holiday time and new legislation on parental leave.