Hunger Hits Home – and the Workplace: Even Employed Canadians Are Struggling to Put Food on the Table

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For a growing number of employed Canadians, having a job is no longer enough to keep hunger at bay. New findings from the National Payroll Institute’s Cost of Hunger for Working Canadians Survey reveal many workers are making painful trade-offs just to afford food — cutting back on essentials, taking on debt and carrying the stress of food insecurity into every part of their lives, including the workplace. Those in part-time roles or with fluctuating pay are especially vulnerable.

According to the survey, one-in-four employed Canadians struggle to afford their basic needs, while one-in-ten struggle at a serious level.

“These findings are deeply troubling because they show that hunger is no longer only a crisis of unemployment or extreme poverty. It is increasingly affecting people who are working hard every day,” said Peter Tzanetakis, President and CEO of the National Payroll Institute. “Behind these numbers are Canadians skipping meals, worrying through their workday and taking on debt just to feed themselves and their families. Hunger is not only undermining health and financial stability — it is taking a quiet but significant toll on people’s dignity, focus and overall well-being.”

Canadians’ wealth and health declines amid rising grocery costs

Rising food costs are becoming increasingly difficult to manage, with more than half (53%) of employed Canadians claiming food affordability has worsened over the past year, and 43 per cent identifying the cost of groceries as a severe issue affecting their ability to access food.

As affordability pressures persist, many workers are being pushed into impossible choices — relying on debt, sacrificing nutrition and stretching already strained household budgets just to put food on the table.

Over one-in-three employed Canadians (34%) report relying on debt to afford food, highlighting the deepening and unsustainable financial strain rising food costs are placing on household budgets.

The impact is also seen beyond household budgets, with one-in-three employed Canadians (33%) sharing that difficulty affording nutritious food has negatively affected their health and one-in-five (22%) reporting losing weight due to food insecurity.

Distracted at work: food insecurity following Canadians into the workplace

The effects of hunger do not end at the dinner table. They follow workers into the office, onto job sites and through the workday, affecting concentration, energy and peace of mind.

Many employed Canadians are bringing the stress of food insecurity to work with them each day. Worry about how to afford groceries, feed a family or make it to the next paycheque is impacting concentration, draining energy and making it harder to stay productive.

Nearly one-in-three (30%) of employed Canadians report decreased productivity due to hunger.

Furthermore, three-quarters of employed Canadians say they worry about food affordability while at work, while three-in-ten admit to spending more than half an hour each workday thinking about it. As a result, overall lost productivity tied to food insecurity is estimated to cost Canadian businesses $65.2 billion annually.

Pay volatility increases risk

Workers facing unstable hours or inconsistent income are among the most vulnerable to food insecurity, showing how unpredictable pay can intensify stress and make an already fragile situation even harder to manage.

Workers who experience fluctuating pay are 29 per cent more likely to experience food insecurity compared to those who rarely experience pay volatility. Furthermore, workers who would prefer more hours are more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity, with rates rising from eight per cent among those satisfied with their hours to 19 per cent among those seeking more— a 137 per cent increase. Part-time workers (34%) also experience significantly higher rates of food insecurity than full-time employees (22%), a 59 per cent increase.

The importance of consistent and predictable pay

For many employed Canadians, food insecurity is an invisible struggle — one that is often carried quietly behind professional routines, productivity expectations and the appearance of stability.

These findings challenge common assumptions about hunger, showing it can affect people who are working, contributing and still falling behind. With a great number of Canadians still living paycheque to paycheque, being able to rely on the timely and accurate delivery of their wages is paramount for their ability to budget and manage expenses.

One of the best things Canadians can do to protect themselves from the impacts of financial turbulence is to establish savings. One of the simplest ways to do so is to “pay yourself first.” By working with their organization’s payroll professional, employees can direct small portions of their pay into dedicated savings accounts—be that everyday savings accounts or emergency savings accounts. Having funds available to help through unexpected times can reduce the reliance on debt, payday loans or other quick fixes with long-term impacts.

“Employers cannot solve affordability challenges on their own, but workplaces can play an important role in supporting financial stability by helping employees understand their options,” explains Tzanetakis. “Predictable, accurate pay and professional payroll practices can help reduce uncertainty for workers navigating ongoing cost pressures and encourage adoption of healthy financial habits.”

About the 2026 National Payroll Institute’s Cost of Hunger for Working Canadians Survey

The National Payroll Institute’s Cost of Hunger for Working Canadians Survey surveyed 1,419 employed Canadians between March 19 and April 2, 2026, using an online panel methodology conducted by Framework Analytics Inc. The survey explored the relationship between employment, pay stability and food insecurity, including the impacts of fluctuating income, food affordability pressures and financial stress on employee well-being and workplace productivity. The data was weighted by age and region to align with Statistics Canada labour force characteristics. The survey is associated with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

About the National Payroll Institute

The National Payroll Institute champions payroll in Canada as being vital to the health of businesses across Canada by setting the professional standard of excellence and sharing critical expertise. We provide the knowledge and resources that more than 45,000 payroll professionals need to realize their potential, 1.4 million employers depend on for the annual payment of $1.35 trillion in wages and taxable benefits, and that governments rely on to receive $469 billion in statutory remittances to fund critical programs each year. The Institute's designations are recognized as the gold standard for expertise and professionalism, and the only such designations for payroll in Canada. The National Payroll Institute is also a charity partner of Food Banks Canada for the second year in 2026 and has donated $75,000 per annum to their national mission.