Canada's Colour Coded Labour Market
Mar 21, 2011
bargain, racialization, wellesley
Although March 21 marks the International Day For the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a new study by the Wellesley Institute and the Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives reveals a troubling trend.
Sheila Block and Grace Edward-Galabuzi have found that, despite years of economic growth and an increasingly diverse population, there exists a colour code in Canada’s labour market.
Using 2006 long form census data (the last that will be available, given the federal government’s elimination of it), they have demonstrated that racialized (ie. those self-identifying as visible minorities on the census) Canadians encounter a “persistent colour code” that blocks them from the best paying jobs the country has to offer.
The report also found that this gap between racialized and non-racialized Canadians existed even in the best of economic conditions. On average, racialized Canadians earned only 81.4 cents for every dollar paid to non-racialized Canadians.
This income gap is largely the result of disparities in the distribution of quality, good paying, secure jobs, according to the report. Although racialized Canadians have slightly higher rates of labour market participation, they experience higher rates of unemployment and earn less income than non-racialized Canadians.
Racialized Canadians are much more likely to work at jobs that are insecure, temporary, and low paying. They are over-represented in a range of traditionally lower paid services ranging from call centres and security services to janitorial services.
All racialized groups, with the exception of those identifying as Japanese and Filipino, tend to find themselves on the unemployment line more often than non-racialized Canadians. Racialized men are 24 percent more likely to be unemployed than non-racialized men, while racialized women have it much worse – they are a whopping 48 percent more likely to be unemployed than non-racialized men.
These findings are certainly cause for concern. Visible minorities are one of the fastest growing groups in Canada, as demonstrated over the last number of years. By 2031, it is estimated that racialized Canadians will make up about 32 percent of the entire population. One would certainly hope that this unsettling trend can be reversed, as the consequences for the Canadian economy would be worrisome indeed.
And more importantly, studies like this call into question Canada’s reputation as a fair and caring society committed to equal opportunities for all.
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