Public sector workers feel sting of precarious jobs, data shows (The Toronto Star)

[inanna]

Published on Sat Dec 12 2015

Despite its vow to tackle precarious employment, almost half of the Ontario government’s own job postings last year were for temporary positions, data obtained by the Star shows.

In a province where around one-third of all jobs are insecure, a full 44 per cent of the 10,682 jobs posted and filled at Ontario ministries in 2013/2014 were temporary or seasonal, according to documents accessed through a freedom of information request. Those figures exclude student summer jobs.

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Critics argue that jobs that once provided a sure path to the middle class are now leaving more and more workers unable to access benefits or pensions.

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“My experience is that it has become close to impossible to enter into the government of Ontario as a permanent employee,” said Sikora, who worked on contract for over two years before securing a permanent job.

cont'd...

Link: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/12/12/public-sector-workers-feel-sting-of-precarious-jobs-data-shows.html

[Joe Shlabotnik]

1. As a Gen-x'er who entered the workforce in 1990

as an 18 year old, I must say that employment in Ontario has been a train wreck all of my adult life. Its a disgrace that with all of the billions of dollars spent since then, that no Ontario government has given a fig about trying to at least stabilize the declining standard of living here. Stable government jobs would be an elementary start, but going back to Rae's NDP, and successive Con and Liberal governments here are beholden to outsourcing, privatizing, and 'labour mobility' which is only downwardly mobile.