Workers in Canada feel confident in taking time off and effectively managing their workload this year, yet less optimistic about a salary increase in 2025.
TORONTO, January 29, 2025 – The January edition of the ADP Canada monthly Happiness@Work Index ("Index") shows an uptick in workers' satisfaction, following a blue hue over December.
The National Work Happiness Score for January 2025 is 6.8/10, a 0.2-point increase from December 2024.
"A new year can bring a fresh outlook for employers and employees across industries," says Heather Haslam, vice president of marketing at ADP Canada. "It's the time of year when many are developing personal and professional goals, and employers have a prime opportunity to engage with their workforce – whether through one-on-one meetings or anonymous surveys, to understand better and perhaps reconfigure resources to support and recognize employee needs this year effectively."
January 2025 Happiness@Work Index Highlights
This uptick in satisfaction reveals almost half (45%) of workers in Canada feel satisfied with their current roles and responsibilities. Secondary indicators, including Work-Life Balance & Flexibility, Recognition and Support and Options for Career Advancement, record a 0.1-point increase from December 2024.
Boomers (7.2/10) continue to lead as the happiest generation for two consecutive years, and Gen-Z workers (6.8/10 hold onto second place tied with Millennials. Regionally, British Columbia (7.1/10) takes over as the happiest region, thanks to a notable jump in sentiment (+0.7), while Alberta (6.5/10) holds on to last place.
National Work Happiness Score: Generational Snapshot
Regional Work Happiness Score Snapshot
With the new year underway and financial pressures still at the top of workers' minds across Canada, the Index explored their outlook regarding work-related activities in 2025. Most feel confident in taking time off this year (78%) and effectively managing workload and responsibilities (76%). Comparatively, when it comes to meeting career goals (63%) or getting a salary increase (57%), nearly six in ten workers felt optimistic.
"Ensuring employees have access to adequate resources such as financial literacy education and career development opportunities can help employees achieve their goals. Keeping a pulse on the market and remaining competitive in salary adjustments can also help alleviate long-term financial stress, support professional growth, and sustain workplace satisfaction beyond 2025," concludes Haslam.
About the Happiness@Work Index Methodology
The Happiness@Work Index is measured monthly through a survey fielded by Maru Public Opinion on behalf of ADP Canada and is undertaken by the sample and data collection experts at Maru/Blue. The survey is run in the first week of each reported month for consistency purposes and asks over 1,200 randomly selected employed Canadian adults (including both employees and self-employed individuals) who are Maru Voice Canada online panelists to rate workplace factors on a scale from 1 to 10. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding.
The results are weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Québec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/-2.8%, 19 times out of 20.
The Index will continue to be published on the last Wednesday of the month, with the next scheduled findings due for publication on February 26, 2025.
