Changes in job stressors in the Canadian working population

OBJECTIVES: To determine the changes in levels of work stressors in a nationally representative sample of Canadian workers from 1994/95 to 2000/01. METHODS: We compared responses for an abbreviated version of the Job Content Questionnaire in two waves of the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Other items and scales related to work and health were also analyzed. Data were transformed to range from 0 to 10. Comparisons of the 2000/01 data were also made with the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) conducted in 2000. RESULTS: There were only very small absolute differences between NPHS 2000/01 data and CCHS 2000 data. The NPHS comparison from 1994/95 to 2000/01 showed an increase in job security (change in means = 0.49, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.58) and a decrease in job physical demands (change in means = 0.45, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.54). Other changes in work characteristics were small in absolute value. The combined 'overall work stressors' index dropped by 0.12 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Levels of work stressors did not increase over the period. Some subscales showed an improvement