-Expert Offers Tips for Making Ends Meet in Tough Times-

TORONTO - Counting down the hours until you get your paycheque? You're not alone. Nearly six-in-ten (57 per cent) workers report they feel they live paycheque to paycheque just to make ends meet, up from 55 per cent in 2008, according to a new nationwide survey by CareerBuilder Canada. Nearly one-in-five workers (19 per cent) who feel they live paycheque to paycheque said they have started feeling this way in 2009.

Some workers are making ends meet by dipping into their long-term savings. Close to one-in-five (18 per cent) workers say they have reduced their 401(k) contributions or personal savings in the last six months to get by.

While some workers are tapping into their long-term accounts, others are having a hard time saving anything at all. More than half (56 per cent) of workers say they do not participate in any programs such as 401(k), IRAs or retirement plans. In addition, more than one-third (35 per cent) report that they don't put any money aside into their savings each month, on par with 2008, while 25 per cent set aside $100 or less per month for savings and 12 per cent save less than $50.

"Workers are employing a variety of tactics to help make ends meet," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder Canada. "Whether it's by keeping a tighter budget, finding ways to bring in additional income or adjusting their savings strategies, workers are doing their best to weather the current economy. These good financial habits will not only help workers in the short-term, but better position them for the future."

Haefner offers the following tips for riding out the economic downturn and preparing for the future:

Keep track of spending - Create a spreadsheet to analyze what you spend each month, including the money spent on those inevitable invisible expenses, such as a morning coffee, cab ride or afternoon snack. Once you can see where your money goes, you can clearly see where you can cut back.

Boost your income - Consider taking on a second job. Ask yourself if this is something you can handle on top of your current job and then pursue some viable options.

Speak up - Talk to your HR department and see what is available to help you save on your monthly expenses. Even though times are tough, companies are still offering flexible spending accounts, wellness benefits, retail discounts, transit reimbursement and more.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within Canada by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder between May 22 and June 10, 2009 among 570 Canadian workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non- government) ages 18 and over (percentages for some questions are based on a subset of Canadian Employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 570 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 4.10 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.