1. Selected topics

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 nail technician works on a client's nails
At Work article

Arts-based study reveals complexities of working as a nail technician

Workplace hazards have been the focus of many studies on the health and safety of nail salons and their workers. An arts-based study strived to demonstrate the complexity of nail technicians’ relationships to their work, finding both harms and joys.
Published: July 31, 2025
A graphic of two women surrounded by superimposed graphical data and screens. One wears virtual reality goggles and the other holds a laptop computer.
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 teen hoisting a snow shovel over his shoulder
At Work article

Parents of 12- to 14-year-olds see high benefits, low OHS risk, in children’s work

Despite high injury rates in young teens who work, their parents voice trust in safety of workplaces
Published: August 2014
At Work article
At Work article

The young and new on job most affected by heat stress: study

Study of work-related heat stress finds heat strokes, sun strokes and other heat illnesses spike over groups of days and disproportionately affect those on the job less than two months
Published: July 2013
At Work article
At Work article

Study finds persistence of higher injury risk for new workers

We know that newly hired workers face a higher injury rate. Recent research from the Institute for Work & Health finds that the higher risk of work injury among new workers has persisted over the past ten years. This suggests workplaces need to do more to ensure new workers get the training and supe
Published: July 2012
At Work article
At Work article

Change is possible: Ontario youth WSIB claim rate declining

A recent study from the Institute for Work & Health shows that, in Ontario, the youth injury rate is declining more steeply than, and converging with, the adult rate. This shows these injury rates are not static and can be potentially improved through prevention strategies.
Published: October 2011
A blurry image of figures walking along a sunlit street
Research Highlights

Ontario youth work injury rate declining more steeply, converging with adult rate

From 1999 to 2007, the lost-time claim rate for young Ontario workers (ages 15 to 24) declined more steeply than the adult rate, and as a result the two rates are converging.
Published: January 2011
Young worker serves ice cream
Impact case study

USW in Canada broadens young worker training

Union awareness program draws on IWH research findings to target all new workers–not just workers who are young.
Published: October 2010
At Work article
At Work article

Canadian youth enter the job market early, IWH study finds

Young people in Canada aged 12 to 14 are working in greater numbers than most would suppose. Nearly 53 per cent of youth in Ontario and 42 per cent in British Columbia reported working during the school year, according to a new study conducted at the Institute for Work & Health.
Published: November 2009
Young worker in hearing protection
Issue Briefing

Declining trends in young worker injury rates, 2000 to 2007

Although young males have typically had higher work-related injury rates than older ones, this trend has changed in some parts of Canada, where young men now have rates similar to those of older men. This Issue Briefing presents a detailed breakdown of workplace injury rates for men and women in three provinces over time, and suggests potential reasons for the trends.
Published: October 2009
At Work article
At Work article

Dyslexia linked to higher risk of work injury among youth

A recent Institute for Work & Health study suggests that young people with dyslexia may be at greater risk of work injury due to their learning disability. This early finding underscores the importance of accommodating different learning styles in health and safety training.
Published: October 2009
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series

Bridging the safety gap for vulnerable young workers using youth employment centres

Young people aged 16 to 24 years who are out of school (and especially those with less than a high school diploma) are at a particularly elevated risk of work injury. To determine the optimal way to improve occupational health and safety (OHS) for this “high risk” subgroup, the Institute for Work & Health collaborated with the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres (OEYAC) to conduct an online survey through youth employment centres across Ontario. This plenary will outline the main findings of this survey and discuss recommendations for employers and policy-makers in Ontario
Published: September 2009