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Go to the
2004
Health Status Report update This update supplements the 2000 Health Status Report by providing updated information for many aspects of the health of our region. |
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Data definitions, limitations & uses • Data Sources Income In Leeds Grenville Lanark (LGL) there are fewer families with either very low or very high household incomes. From this it could be said that there appears to be a more equal distribution of income here than when compared to Ontario or Canada (see figure 1). According to the 1996 Census about 12% of all people living in private households lived below the low-income cut-off in LGL. This was an increase from 1991 when about 9% of the population lived below the low-income cut-off (see figure 2). The increase in the proportion of low-income private households from 1991 to 1996 is not only unique to LGL. This trend was also observed in Ontario. The incidence of low-income is much higher among unattached individuals than in families. In 1996, approximately 30% of unattached individuals were living below the low-income cut-off. Within the region many of the people living below the low-income cut-off were living in cities rather than in more rural areas (see map 1). In 1996, people in LGL working full time earned and average of $35,000 per year. This is less than the Ontario average of $40,000 per year. Women in LGL, similar to the rest of the province, earned on average, much less than men in 1996 (see figure 3). In 1996, about 70% of the income that residents earned in LGL came from employment. This percent is lower than Ontario, where 76% of all income came from employment income (see figure 4). Between 1991 and 1996, in both LGL and Ontario, the percent of income from government transfers rose 3.0% and 2.8% respectively (see figure 5). Employment and workforce Participation in the wage economy is only part of the picture. It is important to address the unpaid work of child, dependent, sick person and elder care, household maintenance and community volunteerism. According to the 1996 Census, 38% of the population 15 and older in LGL spent at least 5 hours in the week before completing the 1996 Census providing unpaid childcare. About 3% of the population 15 and older in LGL spent 10 or more hours on unpaid care to seniors in the week prior to the Census. As the baby boomers age, and there is a greater proportion of seniors in the population, this unpaid care giving activity is bound to become more substantial. According to the 1996 Census 8.8% of females and 8.0% of males were unemployed in LGL. These rates are similar to Ontario provincial averages (see figure 6). Among residents 15-24 in both LGL and Ontario, the unemployment rates were much higher than the average rates (see figure 7). In LGL, 37% of men (15 and older) who were earning an employment income worked part-time or for part of the year. In contrast, 51% of women (15 and older) who were earning an employment income worked part-time or for part of the year. This is an important observation because part-time employment provides less income, and less access to health insurance benefits. The workforce in LGL participated in a variety of different occupations, however, the most common type of employment for residents was in manufacturing (see figure 8). Data definitions,
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Poverty is considered a
negative predictor of health. Canadians living
with the lowest incomes are more likely to report
fair or poor health than Canadians with the
highest income. Some recent evidence suggests that
the distribution of income wealth is changing in
Canada. Over the past 15 years, the incomes of the
wealthiest 10% of families with children grew 14%,
while the incomes of the poorest 10% declined 5%
during this period. This trend is of concern
because some researchers suggest that a more even
distribution of wealth makes the population
healthier as a whole.
