Despite the efforts of recent years to improve the labor market situation of Quebecers from visible minorities, there is still work to be done to reach a parity threshold. This is revealed by the most recent report from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ), released on Tuesday.

The study shows an increasingly active participation of black people in the labor market, underlines Luc Cloutier-Villeneuve, analyst in labor statistics at the ISQ and author of the study. According to him, this is one of the most striking elements. “Labour market participation rates among university graduates and post-secondary education holders are relatively identical to the non-visible minority population,” says the expert. In fact, all ages included, the employment rate reaches the threshold of 78.8% among Blacks, compared to 77.5% for non-visible minorities.

Quebec has better equity between people from visible minorities and white people than some other provinces in Canada, including Ontario. Blacks (78.8% in Quebec, versus 68.8% in Ontario), Latin Americans (76.2%, versus 71.4%) and Arabs (70.8%, versus 57.4%) all have a higher employment rate in the Belle Province. However, British Columbia is more equal on the side of black people (76.1%) and Arabs (60.6%). Luc Cloutier-Villeneuve notes that several positive changes have been made since the previous census, in 2016, but the game is far from won.

The average employment income of visible minorities aged 25 to 64 ($43,240) is still lower than the average employment income of white people ($56,250), the study confirms. But this gap is shrinking. In 2019, it was 22%, while in 2015, four years earlier, it reached 28%. Specifically, in 2019, average employment income ranged from approximately $41,800 (Black people) to $47,700 (Arab people).

Parity varies by age, says the ISQ study. Among people aged 55 to 64, the gap is small, which would indicate better integration into society, argues Luc Cloutier-Villeneuve. “We know that there are variables that affect integration, whether it’s mother tongue, education, length of residence [in Quebec], and the order in the family tree,” explains the expert.

A number of factors may explain the discrepancies observed in the study, underlines Luc Cloutier-Villeneuve. Among them, the statistical analyst mentions knowledge of French or the recognition of diplomas. “What is clear is that in terms of subsequent analysis, it would be interesting to dig into these aspects to understand why these discrepancies persist. »