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Years after supposedly emerging from the recession unscathed, Canadians are tapped out and falling off the radar: Participation rates have hit historic lows, especially for working-age men; many people who've found themselves out of work have given up on looking. Others find themselves in increasingly precarious work - bouncing from contract to contract, juggling multiple gigs without benefits. Our research revealed for the first time the way asset poverty is making households vulnerable to sudden economic shocks, and the way payday lenders and cheque-cashing outlets continue to proliferate in the poorest urban areas of the country. The response to our series was resounding: We were inundated with personal stories from people across the country who'd struggled with precarious work, penurious social assistance restrictions and predatory lending. For months we followed up our revelatory reporting with new information and reality checks on political claims and promises. We continue to do that. http://globalnews.ca/tag/instability-trap/