For some, overemployment is a significant problem, and for others, underemployment. Changing work patterns have created greater flexibility in the labour market and the nature of work itself is evolving. Unpaid work may not figure in most economic calculations, but it is clearly of value to individuals and society. Unemployment Unemployment can significantly influence mental, physical and social health. The health effects of Canada's high unemployment economy, which has existed since the early 1980s with rates consistently higher than other industrialized countries, are potentially huge.
Unemployment affects some groups more than others.
Youth is the other group most severely affected by high joblessness. Other areas include the relevance of school and education policies to both students and employers and the problem of school drop-outs. There are many social barriers in Canada that prevent or hinder access to the supportive environments that positively influence health and well-being. Many groups are without the social supports that could help them achieve even a portion of their full health potential. Others, such as some street and Aboriginal populations, live in conditions that are hazardous to health even by Third World standards.