Employment Profile of English Speakers in Bas-Saint-Laurent

Contributors

About this report

Sithandazile Kuzviwanza, Director of Policy & Research, Provincial Employment Roundtable

Morgan Gagnon, Policy Researcher, Provincial Employment Roundtable

Joshua Loo, Policy Research Intern, Provincial Employment Roundtable

Nicholas Salter, Executive Director, Provincial Employment Roundtable

Chad Walcott, Director of Engagement & Communications, Provincial Employment Roundtable

Maria De las Salas, Communications & Engagement Specialist, Provincial Employment Roundtable

Marla Williams, Consultant

 

This profile contributes to the knowledge and understanding of the employment issues faced by Bas-Saint-Laurent’s English-speaking communities by surveying the most comprehensive information on the demographic and labour force conditions of English speakers in the region.

Key Findings:

  • Bas-Saint-Laurent is the region with the smallest population of English speakers in Québec; There are 1,080 English speakers in the region, representing 0.6% of the region’s population.
  • English speakers in Bas-Saint-Laurent represent 0.6% of both the labour force and total population in the region.
  • Individuals aged 45-64 represent the largest portion of both the total population and the labour force in Bas-Saint-Laurent, irrespective of linguistic identity.
  • English-speaking men and women each make up 0.3% of the labour force in Bas-Saint-Laurent. This is one of only two regions in Québec – the other being Chaudière-Appalaches – where parity occurs between English-speaking women and men’s labour force presence.
  • Among French speakers, men make up a significantly larger proportion of the labour force than women (52.2% compared to 47.2%), which is consistent with the proportion of French-speaking men and women in the
    labour force at the provincial level.
  • English speakers in Bas-Saint-Laurent experience a lower unemployment rate than French speakers in the region (7.6% compared to 9%). This is one of only two regions in Québec – the other being Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean – where this occurs.
  • Among English speakers in Bas-Saint-Laurent, individuals aged 45-64 experience the highest unemployment rate (11.4%), while youth appear to experience the lowest unemployment rate (0%). This latter figure is based on a very small sample size, however, and may not be representative of unemployment in the region.
  • Men in Bas-Saint-Laurent tend to experience higher unemployment rates than women within their linguistic community. The unemployment rate of French-speaking men is almost double that of French-speaking women (11.7% compared to 5.9%). English-speaking men have an unemployment rate of 11.2% and English-speaking women have an unemployment rate of 5.4%.
  • English speakers in Bas-Saint-Laurent have a high engagement in part-time work; 62.1% of English speakers in Bas-Saint-Laurent work part-time, many of them in seasonal industries such as fishing and forestry.
  • English speakers in Bas-Saint-Laurent earn a lower median after-tax income than French speakers in the region ($26,410 compared to $27,563).