This is what the total collapse of the system we call work looks like, based on a back-of-the-napkin calculation.
The starting point for all of Canada.
We begin with the entire population of Canada. From here, we'll narrow down to see who is actually "working" in the traditional sense.
~65% of the total population.
First, we remove those not of standard working age (0-14 and 65+). This leaves us with the potential workforce.
-14.5M Not of Working Age
After removing non-participants.
Of the working-age population, a significant number don't participate in the labour force for various reasons.
-9.3M Not Participating (Students, caregivers, retirees, disabled, discouraged workers, etc.)
Actively working in some capacity.
Next, we remove those who are officially counted as unemployed—actively looking for work but not finding it.
-1.2M Unemployed (by statistical definition)
The remaining core.
Finally, we account for the murky, overlapping categories of people who are working, but not in stable, secure, full-time jobs.
-9.0M Under-employed or in Non-Standard Work (Gig work, part-time, self-employed, etc.)
If "jobs" are defined as 9-to-5, five days a week, with benefits, pensions, and long-term security, this is the reality.
This isn't a "productivity crisis." It's the collapse of the system we call work.
Each square represents 1% of the 27M working-age population.