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Racialized workers face higher unemployment, have less education and get paid less, especially women.
Toronto (8 June 2010) - Ontarians from racialized backgrounds are far more likely to live in poverty, face barriers to finding a job and receive less pay for work, says a study of Canadian Census data by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
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Sexism and racial discrimination pack a double wallop, hampering racialized women’s earning power, says economist Sheila Block, a CCPA research associate.
“The Census data reveals that in 2005 - at the height of pre-recession economic prosperity - women from racialized backgrounds working in Ontario faced real barriers to success. They earned about half as much as non-racialized men,” Block says.
Among the study’s findings:
Racialized workers faced higher unemployment in Ontario: In 2005 the unemployment rate was 8.7% for racialized workers compared to 5.8% for the rest of Ontarians.
They got paid less: Racialized women earned 53.4 cents for every dollar non-racialized men got and 83.7 cents for every dollar non-racialized women got.
Gap existed despite education: First-generation racialized Ontarians aged 25-44 who have a university education still got paid less than non-racialized immigrants. For instance, racialized women made only 47 cents for every dollar that male, non-racialized immigrants made.
The poverty gap: Racialized families are three times more likely to live in poverty.
“The findings in this study point to the overwhelming need for governments to step in with policies to help break down racial and gender barriers,” says Block.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
More information:
Ontario's Growing Gap - The Role of Race and Gender - pdf