COVID-19 in Manitoba: What Comes Next?

As the pandemic begins to ease, Probe Research has been wondering how Manitobans feel about the fallout.

So, we asked 803 of them about their finances, their charitable giving, their travel plans and their views on a host of policy issues. We discovered some pretty big shifts.

Some highlights:

  • More than one-half of Manitobans (57%) believe the way we live will change profoundly as a result of COVID-19. Only one-quarter think things will pretty much return to normal, with one-in-five saying they just don’t know.
chart showing expectations for the future with COVID-19

 

  • Nearly three-quarters of Manitobans (73%) think COVID-19 will cause permanent economic damage, which aligns with economists’ expectations that we are heading into a sharp recession.

 

  • The negative economic consequences of COVID-19 on Manitobans will be profound. Nearly one-half say it’s likely the pandemic will upset their long-term financial or retirement plans and significantly deplete their savings. Nearly one-in-five worry they’ll be unable to pay their credit card or utility bills, with slightly fewer worried they won’t be able to make rent or their mortgage payments.
Economic Impact of COVID-19
  • When asked how governments should cover the costs of the pandemic, Manitobans overwhelmingly support a tax hike on large companies (82%) and the wealthy (75%). Four-in-ten (42%), meanwhile, support increasing sales taxes – which would affect everyone in society. Fewer than one-in-five (16%), on the other hand, think tax rates for small businesses should be increased.
chart showing support for tax preferences

 

  • COVID-19 renewed calls to make broader-based income support available to all citizens. We found more than six-in-ten Manitobans (62%) support the idea of a universal basic income for all citizens, regardless of their earnings.
chart showing support for a universal basic income

 

  • Fortunately, among the six-in-ten Manitobans who donate to local charities, nearly all (85%) say they have continued supporting these causes since the pandemic began. One-quarter (26%) of Manitoba donors say they have recently given to organizations that are helping people deal with the economic and health-related effects of COVID-19.
Charitable Giving During Pandemic

For more information about our work on COVID-19 and how we might be able to help you, please reach out to us at [email protected] or call (204) 926-6565.