Authors

Report Overview

Ye Zin, Economic Policy Analyst, Provincial Employment Roundtable

This report aims to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the employment situation of Lanaudière’s English-speaking communities, who are linguistic minorities in the region. It surveys the most current and comprehensive information on their demographic and labour force conditions. Topics covered include work activity, unemployment rate, income, and educational attainment of workers to provide a more holistic picture of their employment and employability.

In addition to examining the demographics and labour force of the region’s English-speaking population, this profile also examines the key characteristics of the labour market and industries in which English speakers work. The profile concludes by identifying some of the employment challenges and issues for English-speaking workers in Lanaudière, as well as preliminary recommendations to help improve their labour market outcomes.

Key Findings

• English speakers constitute 3.6% of Lanaudière’s labour force, and they have a labour force participation rate of 67.2% compared to 64.1% among the French-speaking majority. 
• English speakers in Lanaudière have an unemployment rate of 8.9%. This is higher than the unemployment rate of French speakers in the region (6.2%).
• English speakers earn a median after-tax income of $36,400 and a median employment income of $36,000. Compared to French speakers, they earn $800 less in after-tax income and $1,200 less in median employment income.
• More than half of English speakers are engaged in full-time employment (52.7%), however, this is slightly lower than the full-time engagement rate of French speakers (53.4%).
• Health care and social assistance is the industry with the highest vacancies in the region. The top 4 leading industries for English speakers in Lanaudière are ‘Manufacturing’, followed by ‘Retail trade’, ‘Health care and social assistance’ and ‘Construction’. The top 4 leading industries for French speakers in Lanaudière are ‘Health care and social assistance’, followed by ‘Retail trade’, ‘Construction’ and ‘Manufacturing’.
• Vulnerable groups within the English-speaking labour force—such as youth, women, visible minorities, immigrants, and First Nations and Inuit individuals—tend to face greater labour market obstacles, as reflected in even higher unemployment rates and lower incomes.