Young and new workers
Workers who are in some way “new” to their work have been shown to be at greater risk of work injury. They may be new to the labour market (i.e. young workers), new to their jobs (e.g. because of short-term contract or temporary work, or job change or promotion), or new to the country (i.e. recent immigrants). IWH research tracks injury rates trends among this group, explores the factors behind the increased risk, and evaluates programs designed to protect these potentially vulnerable workers.
Featured
![A graphic of two women surrounded by superimposed graphical data and screens. One wears virtual reality goggles and the other holds a laptop computer.](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_6_col_wide/public/iwh/images/Delphi%20Report.jpg?h=72c85a53&itok=z7tdIUwF)
At Work article
Top-ranked strategies to support young persons with disabilities in the future of work
IWH researchers asked persons with disabilities, practitioners and subject matter experts about strategies for disability inclusion in the face of six future of work challenges. A new report details their top-ranked strategies to foster inclusion in the face of each challenge.
Published: June 7, 2024
![A group of young adults look into the camera](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_6_col_wide/public/iwh/images/young_adults_faces.jpg?h=7e6a6741&itok=axQuF1gw)
At Work article
One in four young adults in the U.S. have poor mental health—and the lowest earnings among their peers
About one in four young adults in the U.S have poor mental health from their mid-teens to mid-30s. They also have the lowest earnings of their same-age peers. That’s according to a new study, conducted by IWH associate scientist, using data not available in Canada.
Published: February 7, 2023
Project report
Project report
Strategies to ensure young persons with disabilities are included in the future of work
Researchers at the Institute for Work & Health are looking for concrete ways to ensure youth and young adults with disabilities are included in the future of work. In the summer of 2021, a research team conducted an online survey with a wide range of people across Canada. This report summarizes six key areas in the future of work that survey participants indicated could both pose difficulties and offer opportunities to young people with disabilities. The report also presents the solutions that participants suggested to address the barriers and take advantage of the opportunities.
Published: May 2022
Journal article
Journal article
Rheumatic disease disclosure at the early career phase and its impact on the relationship between workplace supports and presenteeism
Published: Arthritis Care & Research, January 2022
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
What the future of work looks like to young people with disabilities
What do young people with disabilities think about when they weigh their job options and consider their career goals? Given the massive changes expected in the world of work—changes brought on by the rise of automation, digital technologies, new forms of work, among others—what barriers and opportunities do young people with disabilities perceive on the horizon? In this presentation, IWH Scientist Dr. Arif Jetha shares findings from his interview-based study of young adults with disabilities. He also discusses what support they need to meet the challenges and take advantage of the potential opportunities of a changing labour market.
Published: December 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Fragmentation in the future of work: a horizon scan examining the impact of the changing nature of work on workers experiencing vulnerability
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, June 2021
![A masked young woman works at a hotel reception desk](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/hotel_receptionist_young.jpg?h=a8abb9cb&itok=GinEjx3c)
At Work article
Education, type of work lessen pandemic job loss in youths with rheumatic diseases
Young adults with rheumatic diseases have generally faced greater challenges in the job market than their healthy peers. That was why an IWH research team set out to examine their work experiences during the pandemic.
Published: June 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment of Canadian young adults with rheumatic disease: longitudinal survey findings
Published: Arthritis Care and Research, May 2021
Project report
Project report
Fragmentation dans l'avenir du travail
D’ici deux décennies, le monde du travail au Canada et dans les autres pays industrialisés sera fort différent de ce qu’il est aujourd’hui. Une équipe de recherche basée à l’Institut de recherche sur le travail et la santé a entamé un projet qui vise à aider la préparation des jeunes personnes handicapées pour le monde du travail de l’avenir. Le rapport provenant de ce projet décrit neuf tendances susceptibles de modeler l’avenir du travail et leur incidence pour les travailleurs vulnérables.
Published: April 2021
![An illustration of young people helping each other climb out of a mountain crevice](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/future_mountain_climb.jpg?h=f6963184&itok=dZ1WGxCq)
At Work article
Nine trends that will likely shape future of work for groups of vulnerable workers
Climate change, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. The world of work will look very different in the next two decades as a result of major system-wide changes. What might it hold for vulnerable workers?
Published: April 2021
Project report
Project report
Fragmentation in the future of work
In 2020, an Institute for Work & Health research team, using a method from the field of strategic foresight called horizon scanning, began exploring what the future may hold for workers, especially those in vulnerable conditions. Its findings are included in this report, which identifies nine future trends that may have a particular impact on vulnerable workers—both positive and negative.
Published: April 2021
![A woman works at a laundry service](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/laundry_female_worker.jpg?h=ab04b661&itok=igpS9Pqv)
At Work article
Precarity more likely for older, new workers with disabilities
An IWH study finds the risks of working in precarious jobs are the same for people with and without disabilities. But among people with disabilities, precarity is more likely when people are older or have less job tenure.
Published: March 2021