SOURCE: AB Viewpoint Surveys - Aug. 2020 (N = 817), March 2021 (N = 802), Sept. 2021 (N = 1204), April 2022 (N = 845), Jan. 2023 (N = 1227)

NOTES: Estimates and 95% confidence intervals based on weighted survey data. Percentage of respondents reporting that they believed it would be harder to move up the income ladder than their parents and the percentage reporting that they were optimistic about Alberta’s future. For Aug. 2020 data, the question about optimism specifically refers to Alberta’s economy and for all other survey waves, the question refers to Alberta’s future more generally. 

Although there were some fluctuations throughout the pandemic, aggregate comparisons of experiences and perceptions of economic insecurity appear to be fairly stable over time. Experiences of insecurity were somewhat higher toward the beginning of the pandemic, but differences over time are small. The largest differences appear in regard to optimism about the future.

Varying Experiences and Perceptions of Economic Insecurity Across Groups 

Even though experiences appear similar in the aggregate, it’s important to also consider how different groups’ experiences have changed throughout the pandemic. The next sets of figures examine how difficulties in meeting expenses and how optimism about Alberta’s future varied by gender, education, race, location, generation, and the presence of children in the household (Figures 5 and 6) and party affiliation and political ideology (Figures 7 and 8).

Examining respondents’ reported difficulties in meeting their expenses across groups shows a divergence in relation to gender and education over time. Similar percentages of men and women and people with different levels of education reported difficulties in meeting expenses in August 2020, which could be linked to larger economic struggles early in the pandemic. Over time, however, we start to see a greater proportion of women and individuals with less than a BA struggle to meet expenses. By January 2023, 49% of women compared to 41% of men reported difficulties meeting their expenses, and 51% of individuals with less than a university-level education compared to 37% of persons with a university degree or higher reported difficulties. 

Fewer differences were present by race and location. Early on in the pandemic, racial minority groups reported greater struggles, but differences were not present after August 2020. Across locations, those living in rural areas tended to report struggling with expenses more, but these differences were small. Disparities were also present across generations. Members of the Silent and Boomer generations -- those born before 1964 -- were much less likely to experience economic insecurity throughout the pandemic. Finally, in most years individuals with children more often experienced insecurity.

As shown in Figure 6, it was much harder to identify patterns of economic insecurity in relation to political affiliation and ideology. Individuals affiliated with other parties that included the Liberal, Alberta, Green, and Wildrose parties were more likely to experience insecurity early on, but there has been a convergence of these experiences in the most recent January 2023 survey. There was also a good amount of overlap across political ideologies. Most recently in January 2023 it appears as though individuals on the far right of the spectrum have been experiencing lower levels of insecurity than other groups.