Financial stress levels climb as Canadians use debt to pay for essentials

New survey results suggest the financial stress of Canadians has climbed drastically from a year ago, hitting an all-time high for the annual study.

New survey results suggest the financial stress of Canadians has climbed drastically from a year ago, hitting an all-time high for the annual study.

The Annual Survey of Working Canadians from the National Payroll Institute, published Tuesday, found 37 per cent of Canadians fall into the “financially stressed” category, a 20-per-cent jump in the last year.

Peter Tzanetakis, president of the National Payroll Institute, said the figures represent the highest levels of financial stress in the 15 years of the survey.