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 English-speaking communities living in the Laurentides region. The report 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 English speakers’ 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 with identifying some of the employment challenges and issues for English-speaking workers in Les Laurentides, as well as preliminary recommendations to help improve their labour market outcomes.

Key Findings

• English speakers constitute 7.3% of Les Laurentides’s labour force, and they have a labour force participation rate of 63.8% compared to 64.5% among the French-speaking majority.
• English speakers in Les Laurentides have an unemployment rate of 10.5%. This is higher than the unemployment rate of French speakers in the region (6.8%).
• English speakers earn a median after-tax income of $35,200 and a median employment income of $31,000. Compared to French speakers, they earn $2,000 less in after-tax income and $5,000 less in median employment income.
• About half of English speakers are engaged in full-time employment (50.2%), compared to 51.5% among French speakers.
• Retail trade is the industry with the highest vacancies in the region. The top 4 leading industries for English speakers in Les Laurentides are ‘Retail trade’, followed by ‘Manufacturing’, ‘Professional, scientific and technical services’ and ‘Health care and social assistance’. The top 4 leading industries for French speakers in Les Laurentides are ‘Health care and social assistance’, followed by ‘Retail trade’, ‘Manufacturing’ and ‘Construction’.
• 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 higher unemployment rates and lower incomes.