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
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
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
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
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
Project
Project
Transitioning to the future of work: an intersectional study of vulnerable youth and young adults
This project applies an intersectional theoretical framework to explore the impact of the future of work on the transitional work experiences of vulnerable groups of young people—including women, visible minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ2+, and those with low socioeconomic status—and to uncover the overlapping structures that contribute to labour market inequities for different groups.
Status: Completed
Project
Project
Future-focused job accommodation practices for the school-to-work transition
Difficulties faced by young people during the school-to-work transition can have a lasting effect and contribute to adverse labour market outcomes that extend across one's working life. This studies explores the emerging barriers that young people with disabilities could face in accessing needed job accommodations within the changing world of work.
Status: Ongoing
Journal article
Journal article
The working disadvantaged: the role of age, job tenure and disability in precarious work
Published: BMC Public Health, December 2020
Tools and guides
Working with a rheumatic disease
This interactive tool is designed for youth and young adults with rheumatic health conditions such as juvenile arthritis or lupus as they begin their working lives. It is designed to help them identify and address the unique challenges they may face when looking for work, already working or unable to work due to their health condition.
Published: November 2020
At Work article
Depressive symptoms in people with arthritis linked to lower employment rates
Research has shown that people with arthritis face difficulties finding work and staying at work. Now, a new study finds that when people with arthritis also have depressive symptoms, the risks of work disability are even greater.
Published: October 2020
Research Highlights
Depression and work among adults with arthritis
About 13 per cent of working-age people in the U.S. who have arthritis also experience depressive symptoms. Having both arthritis and depressive symptoms lowers the likelihood of working. For people aged 35 to 54, having depressive symptoms in addition to arthritis lowers the likelihood of working by 17 per cent.
Published: October 2020
IWH in the media
The future of work will hit vulnerable people the hardest
A great deal of attention is being paid to the future of work and its impact on Canadians. Often missing from the discussion is the extent to which different workers will be included or excluded from the changing labour market. As the pace of change quickens in the years ahead, the sustainable employment of vulnerable groups could be in greater jeopardy and inequity could widen, writes Dr. Arif Jetha.
Published: The Conversation, March 2020