The results of a new study are shining a light on the rising number of working poor in greater Montreal.
The number of people holding down a job and living on or near the poverty line increased by 30 per cent between 2001 and 2012, according to a joint study released by Centraide and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS).
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According to researchers, 125,000 working individuals in greater Montreal are currently described as “poor.”
In 2001, the number was 90,000.
Parc Extension has the highest rate of working poor people at 30.7 per cent.
Every neighbourhood on the island, with the exception of Baie d’Urfé, has had an increase in the number of employed individuals who are considered poor.
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“Just the change in pricing and everything. I mean the milk has changed, the fruits and vegetables has changed,” said Barbara Kalamoutsos.
She has a part-time job, but relies on food baskets to help make ends meet.
Sun Youth hands out more than 2,000 food baskets a month to Montreal households.
About 10 per cent of them go to families with jobs.
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Eric Kingsley explained a lot of the working poor are falling through the cracks due to a very difficult job market.
“More unstable jobs, a lot of outsourcing…a lot of contractual jobs,” he told Global News.
“That’s the business world of today.”
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