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 Québec’s English-speaking communities, who are linguistic minorities in the province. 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 English speakers’ employment and employability.

In addition to examining the demographics and labour force of the province’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 Québec, as well as preliminary recommendations to help improve their labour market outcomes. 

Key Findings

• English speakers constitute 15.8% of Québec’s labour force, and they have a labour force participation rate of 66.6% compared to 64% among the French-speaking majority. 
• Among French speakers, individuals aged 65 years and older are the largest age group. Amongst English speakers, 25-34 year olds are one of the largest age groups. However, individuals aged 35-44 constitute the largest share of the labour force for both French speakers and English speakers.
• English speakers have an unemployment rate of 10.9% in Québec. This is higher than the unemployment rate of French speakers in the province (6.9%). Notably, English speakers have higher unemployment rates than French speakers in all 17 administrative regions of Québec. The regions with the highest unemployment rates for English speakers are Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (18.7%), Côte-Nord (17.9%), and Montréal (11.6%).
• Among English speakers in Québec, youth aged 15-24 are the age group with the highest unemployment rate. English-speaking youth have an unemployment rate of 17.4%, which is higher than the unemployment rate of French-speaking youth (10.9%).
• English speakers earn a median after-tax income of $34,000 and a median employment income of $32,000. This is $2,800 less in after-tax income and $5,200 less in median employment income than French speakers. English speakers earn lower median after-tax incomes and lower median employment incomes than French speakers in 15 out of the 17 administrative regions of Québec. The 2 regions in exception are Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Chaudière-Appalaches.
• Roughly half of English speakers in the labour market are engaged in full-time employment (50.3%), compared to 53.3% among French speakers. Resource-oriented regions such as Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Côte-Nord tend to have high levels of part-time/part-year work activity among English speakers. 
• ‘Healthcare and social assistance’ is the industry with the highest vacancies in the province. The top 4 industries in which  English speakers in Québec are employed are ‘Professional, scientific and technical services’, followed by ‘Retail trade’, ‘Healthcare and social assistance’, and ‘Manufacturing’. The top 4 industries for French speakers in Québec are ‘Healthcare and social assistance’, followed by ‘Retail trade’, ‘Manufacturing’ and ‘Educational services’.
• 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.