Statistics Canada said youth, part-time, and temporary employees remain least likely to access health benefits
Two thirds of employees in Canada had workplace medical or dental benefits in 2024, but significant gaps remain depending on age, job type, and region.
Statistics Canada reported that 66.8 percent of workers received coverage through their main job, up from 63.3 percent in 2021.
Unionized and public sector employees stood out with higher coverage levels.
In 2024, 83 percent of employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement had access to medical or dental benefits compared with 59.7 percent of non-unionized workers.
Public sector employees, who were five times more likely than private sector employees to be unionized, had a coverage rate of 80.9 percent, compared with 62.1 percent in the private sector.
Employment status strongly influenced access.
Nearly 8 in 10 (79.1 percent) full-time permanent employees had coverage, while only 9.7 percent of temporary part-time employees did. Among permanent employees, access rose to 71.9 percent in 2024 from 68.3 percent in 2021.
In contrast, temporary employees saw coverage fall slightly from 26.8 percent to 26.1 percent over the same period.
Meanwhile, age showed sharp differences as only 27.6 percent of employees aged 15 to 24 reported benefits, compared with 75.1 percent of core-aged workers (25 to 54) and 67.4 percent of those 55 and older.
Even among full-time youth workers, just 46.3 percent had access, compared with 79.4 percent of core-aged employees. For youth in part-time positions, coverage dropped to 8.6 percent.
Half of employees in the 15 to 24 group worked in sales and service, a sector with relatively low benefit rates.
Gender disparities largely reflected work patterns. In 2024, 63.8 percent of women had benefits compared with 69.5 percent of men. Women were almost twice as likely to work part-time than men (21.6 percent versus 11.4 percent).
When comparing full-time workers only, the gap nearly closed, with 75.5 percent of women and 76.6 percent of men having benefits.
Regional coverage varied across provinces.
Saskatchewan (71.7 percent), Manitoba (70.3 percent), British Columbia (70.0 percent), and Alberta (69.7 percent) recorded the highest shares. Quebec (60.6 percent), Prince Edward Island (63.2 percent), and Newfoundland and Labrador (63.6 percent) had the lowest.
Statistics Canada pointed to Quebec’s unique system requiring prescription drug insurance through either private plans or the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec as a factor that may reduce employer-provided coverage.
Differences also appeared across racialized groups and Indigenous employees.
Chinese (68.6 percent) and Filipino (67.7 percent) workers had coverage levels similar to non-racialized and non-Indigenous employees (68.4 percent).
By contrast, West Asian (59.9 percent), Arab (59.4 percent), and Black (61.1 percent) employees had lower access.
Among Indigenous workers, 63.4 percent of First Nations employees living off-reserve and 57.4 percent of Inuit employees living in the provinces reported coverage.
Métis employees living in the provinces (65.5 percent) reported rates similar to non-Indigenous employees (66.6 percent).
For those aged 55 and older, 61.7 percent of First Nations employees living off-reserve had benefits, compared with 67.3 percent of non-Indigenous employees.
