Boomers Report Highest Work Happiness in Canada
ADP Canada's Happiness@Work Index found older workers rated their job satisfaction highest while Gen Z workers rated theirs lowest.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Employment
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Boomers aged 62 and older scored 7.4 out of 10 on ADP Canada's Happiness@Work Index, while Gen Z workers aged 18 to 29 scored 6.8, the lowest of any generation. The October survey covered 1,926 employed Canadian adults.
Why it matters
The gap between generations suggests workers at different career stages face different pressures on the job. Salary and financial strain emerged as the leading source of workplace anxiety, which may shape how younger employees view their jobs.
The Happiness@Work Index, a 10-point scale, drew on an online survey of 1,926 employed Canadian adults conducted in October. Thirty-two per cent of workers cited salary and financial pressure as their biggest source of anxiety, and 29 per cent named heavy workload as their top energy drain.
The players
ADP Canada
The Canadian arm of the global human resources and payroll company ADP, which commissioned the Happiness@Work Index survey.
Harris Poll Canada
The Canadian division of the Harris Poll research firm, which conducted the online survey on ADP Canada's behalf.
The details
Millennials and Gen X each scored 6.9 out of 10, placing them near the national average. Workers also cited workplace-related stress at 24 per cent and repetitive or unfulfilling tasks at 20 per cent as sources of concern.
Timeline
October 2026: ADP Canada survey of 1,926 employed Canadian adults conducted.
September 2026: Prior month's scores used as the comparison baseline.
Roadmap
The national score matching October 2025 indicates the Happiness@Work Index has held steady year over year rather than shifting sharply. Tracking generational splits within that stable average shows where workplace sentiment is moving beneath the national figure.
Workers in their late 20s and early 30s may find salary and financial pressure the most immediate concern when weighing job satisfaction. Older workers approaching retirement report higher happiness, which may matter for employers planning succession and retention.
The takeaway
Financial pressure and workload weigh heavily on Canadian workers across generations, so employees who feel stretched may benefit from raising pay or workload concerns with their managers early.
Further reading
Explore more on Employment trends affecting Canadian workers across generations.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dailyhive.
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