Canada’s Colour Coded Labour Market: the gap for racialized workers was released on March 21st, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Jointly produced by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Wellesley Institute, this report compares work and income trends among racialized and non-racialized Canadians based on 2006 Census data, prior to the recession of 2008. The report indicates that even in the best economic times, racialized Canadians face large income disparities.
Data from the report states that racialized Canadians earn only 81.4 cents for every dollar paid to non-racialized Canadians. Although racialized individuals have slightly higher levels of labour market participation, they continue to experience higher levels of unemployment, and the work they are able to attain is more likely to be insecure, temporary and low paying. When compared to non-racialized men, racialized men are 24 percent more likely to be unemployed and racialized women are 48 percent more likely to be unemployed. Racialized women earn only 55.6 percent of the income of non-racialized men. The report also focuses on immigrants to Canada and states that first generation racialized men earn only 68.7 percent of the earnings of first generation non-racialized men.
The growing racialization of poverty is also discussed in the report. Poverty rates for racialized families are three times higher than that of non-racialized families, and in 2005, 19.8 percent of racialized families experienced poverty when compared to 6.4 percent of non-racialized families. The concluding sections of the report highlight the negative impact of unemployment, precarious work, and job strain on the physical and mental health of Canadians.
To access the full report, visit: www.policyalternatives.ca.
To view the video on the report, visit: www.youtube.com.