The latest research by the Calgary Food Bank has found that tens of thousands of their clients receiving food supports are also working full time.

Results from Work that Isn’t Working: Food Insecurity Among Employed Calgarians show that 27 per cent of survey respondents said that full-time employment was their primary household income, with a further 19 per cent saying that they had part-time employment.

The figures combined represent more than 27,135 Calgarians fully employed and 19,095 each year who turn to the food bank for help, despite being employed, based on the food bank’s figures of serving over 100,000 people in 42024.

According to the report, many of those individuals were also working two or more jobs.

“It’s a very alarming number, and we can add to that, that 65 per cent of those reported experiencing severe food insecurity, and that’s marked by skipping meals, reducing food intake, and sometimes, you know, going a day or more without food,” said Dr. Lucy Harry, a co-author of the research report and Head of Research at the Calgary Food Bank.

“So, it’s not just that 27 per cent of households accessing the food bank are working full time. It’s also about the depth of the issue that they’re facing.”

Dr. Harry said that the research project began as a result of increased numbers of hampers being given to working Calgarians.

“If we look at the numbers who were working or reporting wages, their main source of income in 2019 as compared to 2024 it’s gone up over 200 per cent,” said Harry.

The main issues identified by the food bank, through in-depth interviews with 30 individuals and a survey of 1,525 people, were insufficient wages, along with limited and inconsistent hours of work.

“We found that certain demographic groups, such as those living with disabilities, Indigenous people and newcomers, were at higher risk of in-work food insecurity, as were those who were working in particular volatile job industries,” said Dr. Harry.

The top industries identified as those employing people using the Calgary Food Bank were trades, transport, and equipment operators at 29 per cent; sales and service at 29 per cent; health occupations at 8 per cent; and occupations in manufacturing and utilities at 8 per cent.

The research also found that for many participants, the lack of recognition in Canada for their foreign credentials was an issue leading to highly skilled individuals taking on lower-wages at a lower-ranked position.

Some 62 per cent of non-Canadian citizens using the Calgary Food Bank held post-secondary diplomas or degrees, compared to just 38 per cent of Canadian citizens.

One Ukrainian interviewee was quoted as saying, “In Ukraine, I was a top manager, now I am a delivery driver.”

Calgarians forced to choose between housing and food

Dr. Harry said that Calgarians are having to make a choice between having secure housing and eating.

“A lot of those that we interviewed talked about how their food insecurity is tied up with the high cost of housing. We have quotes from clients saying things like, housing takes up my whole income right now, or my salary is less than the rent that I actually pay,” she said.

“They talked about how they were utilizing the Calgary Food Bank as a way of saving money on their rent, and so they could redirect, you know, a grocery bill towards paying for their housing.”

Those trade-offs, with food being on the losing end, have also been recognized by Vibrant Communities Calgary, said interim executive director Alka Merlin.

“We know that working people, people who work two or three jobs, still can’t afford to buy food, and are visiting the food bank and scraping dollars together just to be able to afford a meal, we know that there’s more work to do,” Merlin said.

“When kids are going to school hungry, we know there’s more work to do. So, I think anything that we can do as a city and as a province to ensure that you know the next generation of Calgarians and Albertans is well fed and well poised to become the next leaders in our province is exactly what we should be focusing on.”

She said that there has been a positive direction in terms of overall poverty in Calgary, with Statistics Canada figures showing a decline in the number of people living in poverty in Calgary from 163,000 to 150,000.

“At Vibrant Communities Calgary, we’re focusing on people living in poverty, but affordability has been a growing concern. What you’re seeing is more and more families making choices on a daily basis of what they’re going to give up to ensure that they can pay for shelter, pay for food, and their basic needs,” Merlin said.

The report found that the average wage of survey participants was $19.30, versus the living wage calculated in 2024 by Vibrant Communities Calgary at $24.45.

Melissa From, CEO of the Calgary Food Bank, said that the issue wasn’t just food versus housing, but food versus the pressures that Calgarians are facing daily from inflation.

“I think that it is ultimately a massive issue of out-of-control inflation and global instability that is leading to that inflation and so that has affected the cost of housing. It has actually disproportionately affected the cost of food as one of the highest inflationary line items in our country,” she said.

“Food tends to be the variable item in household budgets, so it tends to be the one that drops off the end of the budget. Unfortunately, it’s so much more than even just housing and food. It’s so many other things that folks are being forced to cut back on or choose between.”

From: politicians need to be aware of the facts

She said that with the upcoming municipal election, candidates needed to be aware of the facts behind food insecurity in Calgary and the effects that has on Calgarians.

“We’re making this information available. They need to make sure they’re reading it and that they know it and understand the nuances of it. but also at the provincial level and we have just sworn in a new prime minister and cabinet at the federal level,” From said.

“While this report is typically reflective of Calgary, I would suspect it’s very reflective of what we’re seeing across our country. I would hope that our new prime minister and his cabinet are also looking at information like this and recognizing that there’s a role for them to play.”

Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott said that Calgary, like many municipalities, is on the front line of addressing food issues for citizens.

“At the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, we’ve moved motions about food insecurity, repeatedly trying to advocate for the federal government to step up in that role, especially because the cost to our local constituents, our citizens, our community members, our families, it’s proving too high,” he said.

“You can’t ask the question of: Is this city a good place to make a life if you can’t afford to feed yourself? So, we can do a lot of work on housing, and we’re going to do a lot of work on transportation, we’re going to do a lot of work on economic development. But what’s the point of making more money? If you have to spend more just to eat.”

He said the story really was about how the city was moving forward on projects like downtown revitalization and providing more houses, but that the affordability crisis is still causing issues in other areas indirectly related.

“It really comes down to what resources are available to you, and what resources do Calgarians need. That number shows that Calgarians need affordable food.”