As the face of Canada’s workforce changes, so does the ability of some employees to manage finances and plan for retirement, according to a poll released by TD.

TD said many of today’s working Canadians are “Flexforce” employees – a group made up of gig workers, job jumpers and postponed professionals.

According to the TD survey, about 64 per cent of Flexforce Canadians anticipate needing to work into their senior years because they won't have enough saved for retirement. Just over 70 per cent of these Canadians find it difficult to save for retirement, while 41 per cent aren’t sure when they'll retire given their employment situation.

This leaves a large and growing group of Canadians following unconventional career paths feeling uncertain (47 per cent) and worried (34 per cent) about their future, with only a small number (11 per cent) claiming to feel secure about saving for retirement.

Uncertainty difficult on saving

“Planning for retirement can be overwhelming in any circumstance, but it becomes even more challenging when it's tied to the uncertainty that accompanies Flexforce employment," says Jennifer Diplock, associate vice president, Personal Savings and Investing at TD Canada Trust. "An increasing number of Canadians are choosing temporary or non-traditional employment and are having to rethink retirement – specifically what retirement will look like for them and what steps they'll need to take in order to feel confident about achieving their retirement goals."

When it comes to retirement goals, 55 per cent of Flexforce Canadians say they are not able to save as much as they need to each year to meet their goals, with 76 per cent wishing they made financial contributions at an earlier age.

Survey respondents said three main issues are holding them back from savings: day-to-day bills, paying off existing debt and paying for their lifestyle.