Gauging public opinion on important issues to the department is essential in the development of policy, programs, and communication activities. To this end, HRSDC commissioned Corporate Research Associates, Inc. (CRA), to conduct public opinion research on core mandate issues as well as new and emerging issues. This study sought to examine three emerging issues (i.e., Social Partnerships, the Retirement Income System, and Persisting Unemployment), with the goal of utilizing the collected survey information as a means of informing policy direction as well as communications regarding these priority areas. To achieve these objectives, 1500 telephone interviews were conducted with Canadians aged 18 years and over, in the ten provinces, excluding the territories. Interviews were conducted between March 8 and March 27, 2010, with an average interview length of 18 minutes.