Ontario labour force data is from Statistics Canada, 2016 Canadian Census, unless otherwise noted.

Women: Statistics Canada, 2016 Canadian Census

Francophone: Statistics Canada, 2016 Canadian Census

LGBTQ+: Data is not available for benchmarking purposes from the 2016 Census.

Transgender: Estimates for the Ontario labour force for transgender populations are not available. Additional information is expected from the 2021 Census.

Transgender people experience barriers to accessing employment as well as stigma and discrimination in the workplace. Being identifiable as transgender, having to seek references from previous employers and providing documentation from prior to transitioning can create unsafe circumstances when seeking employment. Barriers are also encountered due to lack of trans-inclusive workplace attitudes and policies. Exclusionary attitudes and policies at work include misgendering (like the misuse of names and pronouns) and non-gender-neutral dress codes or bathrooms. These exclusionary conditions can lead transgender people to hide their gender identity, delay gender transitions and ultimately, leave employment.

Non-Binary and Two-Spirit: Estimates from the Ontario labour force for non-binary and Two-Spirit individuals are not available. Additional information is expected from the 2021 Census.

Non-binary and Two-Spirit people face barriers to employment and often experience stigma and discrimination in the workplace. Exclusionary attitudes and policies at work include misgendering (like the misuse of names and pronouns), non-gender-neutral dress codes or bathrooms and anti-Indigenous racism towards Two-Spirit people. These exclusionary conditions can lead to non-binary and Two-Spirit people to hide their gender identity or leave employment.

Persons with disabilities: Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017. People with disabilities can be underrepresented in the workplace because of lower levels of education, lack of early employment experience, severity of disability and availability of accommodations in the workplace.

People with disabilities also encounter barriers which discourage them from looking for employment. Examples include:

  • expected employment income would be less than their current income
  • they would lose additional supports (for example, drug plan or housing)
  • lack of specialized transportation; family or friends discourage them from working; few jobs are available in the local area; accessibility issues when applying for work

Rates of employment for people with disabilities are significantly lower in Ontario than for other groups. Over 240,000 unemployed Ontarians with disabilities could be potential candidates for employment if properly accommodated in an inclusive labour market without discrimination (source: Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017).

Indigenous identity: Statistics Canada, 2016 Canadian Census. ‘Indigenous’ respondents are from the Statistics Canada variable of ‘Aboriginal peoples’ and includes respondents who reported ‘Yes’ to Question 18 in the Census (‘Is this person an Aboriginal person, that is, First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit)?’). Indigenous people are likely underrepresented in these figures because of various barriers that lead to both low response rates to the Canadian Census and to lower labour force participation than for non-Indigenous populations.

Racialized: Statistics Canada, 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada’s data for “visible minority” is used.

Race categories (such as, Black, East/Southeast Asian, Latino/Latina/Latinx, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Another Race Category, White): Statistics Canada, 2016 Canadian Census. Note that individual race categories do not add up to the total number of respondents in the “racialized category” because a) respondents could identify with more than one race; and b) the Statistics Canada formula for calculating “visible minority” was used to calculate “racialized.”

Importantly, labour force information does not always align with overall population.