Indigenous Peoples Survey–Nunavut Inuit Supplement, 2022
Released: 2024-08-14
The territory of Nunavut was created on April 1, 1999, as part of the "Nunavut Agreement" between the Inuit of Nunavut and the Government of Canada. The objective of Article 23 of the Nunavut Agreement is to increase Inuit participation in government employment in Nunavut to a representative level.
Results from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey–Nunavut Inuit Supplement (IPS–NIS) provide updated information about the availability, interest and preparedness of Nunavut Inuit (Inuit enroled under the Nunavut Agreement) for employment in government in Nunavut. The content for the supplement was a collaborative effort between Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the Government of Nunavut, Pilimmaksaivik (the Federal Centre of Excellence for Inuit Employment in Nunavut), Employment and Social Development Canada, and Statistics Canada.
The target population of the IPS–NIS is Nunavut Inuit living in Canada aged 15 years and older. While the sample includes a small number of Inuit living outside of Nunavut, this release focuses only on those living in the territory.
Over half of employed Inuit in Nunavut work in government
Of the estimated 19,000 Nunavut Inuit aged 15 years and older living in Nunavut in 2022, 48.1% were employed, 10.5% were unemployed and 41.5% were not in the labour force.
Chart 1
Employment status, by gender, Nunavut Inuit living in Nunavut, 2022
Over half (53.8%) of Nunavut Inuit who were employed in 2022 worked in government in Nunavut (the federal government, the territorial government, public agencies, or hamlet or municipal governments), a level similar to 2017 (54.7%). For those working in government in 2022, the Government of Nunavut (not including Public Agencies) was the largest employer (52.6%), followed by hamlet or municipal governments (31.2%), Public Agencies in Nunavut (10.1%) and the Government of Canada in Nunavut (8.1%).
Chart 2
Type of government employer, by gender, Nunavut Inuit living in Nunavut, 2022
Nunavut Inuit interest in government employment
Among Nunavut Inuit not currently working in government (including non-government employees and those who were unemployed or not in the labour force) in 2022, nearly 8 in 10 (78.0%) had an interest in working in government in Nunavut in the future. Of Nunavut Inuit not currently working in government, over two-thirds (71.8%) would be interested in working for the Government of Nunavut, followed by a hamlet or municipal government (64.5%). Half (50.7%) reported having interest in working for a Public Agency in Nunavut and close to half (47.2%) were interested in working for the Government of Canada in Nunavut.
Interest in and awareness of training for government employment
In 2022, 21.2% of Nunavut Inuit were aware of courses, workshops, seminars or training to develop their job skills to get a government job, while 17.6% of Nunavut Inuit had looked for this information. Of those who looked for this information, 45.5% found it via websites, 39.5% found it through social media, and 24.8% got it from their current employer.
Among Nunavut Inuit interested in government employment and not already in a government job in 2022, nearly three in four (74.5%) were interested in skills training for government employment, also known as pre-employment training. Computer (54.1%), job-specific (53.9%) and job search (47.4%) training were identified as the areas of most interest.
In 2022, Nunavut Inuit with an interest in pre-employment training were also asked about supports to help them take training. Two-thirds (67.4%) considered having training opportunities within one's home community as the most important support, followed closely by obtaining a government job at the end of training (65.9%). Help choosing a government job (58.8%) and financial assistance (56.7%) were also identified as significant supports for Inuit pre-employment training.
Chart 3
Types of supports needed to participate in skills training, Nunavut Inuit living in Nunavut, 2022
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Note to readers
Some figures in percent may not add up to 100% as a result of rounding and/or because respondents could select multiple responses.
Comparisons between the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey and the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey - Nunavut Inuit Supplement
While the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS) includes all Inuit living in Canada (as well as all other Indigenous groups), the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey–Nunavut Inuit Supplement (IPS–NIS) includes only Inuit enroled under the Nunavut Agreement.
For more information, please consult the Concepts and Methods Guide for the Indigenous Peoples Survey and Indigenous Peoples Survey – Nunavut Inuit Supplement, 2022, which is available in the related products on the Indigenous Peoples Survey – Nunavut Inuit Supplement Integrated Metadatabase (IMDB) webpage.
Nunavut Inuit: For the IPS, people can self-report Inuit as their Indigenous identity. For the IPS–NIS, Nunavut Inuit are more specifically defined as Inuit who reported being enroled under, or a beneficiary of, an Inuit land claims agreement and who responded, "Nunavut Agreement (Nunavut Land Claims Agreement)" to the question, "Which Inuit land claim agreement?" This article focuses on Nunavut Inuit aged 15 years and older living in Nunavut at the time of the 2021 Census.
The Nunavut Agreement, formerly known as the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, is an Agreement that was signed in May 1993 by the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut (now known as Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated), the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories. The terms of enrolment are defined under Article 35 of the agreement.
Employed refers to people who, during the reference week, did any work for pay or profit or had a job and were absent from work.
Unemployed refers to people who, during the reference week, were without work, were available for work and were either on temporary layoff, had looked for work in the past four weeks or had a job to start within the next four weeks.
Not in the labour force refers to people who were neither employed nor unemployed during the reference period, including those who were either unable to work or unavailable for work. This includes people who were without work and who had neither looked for work in the past four weeks nor did they have a job to start within four weeks of the reference period. For example, people who are caring for their children, those who have other personal or family responsibilities, and students are considered to be not in the labour force.
Interest in government employment refers to people who responded "yes" or "maybe" to the question, "Would you be interested in working for the government or hamlet in Nunavut in the next 2 years?" and those who responded "yes" to the question, "Would you ever be interested in working in the government or hamlet in Nunavut?"
Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman).
Gender includes the following concepts:
• gender identity, which refers to the gender that a person feels internally and individually;
• gender expression, which refers to the way a person presents their gender, regardless of their gender identity, through body language, aesthetic choices or accessories (e.g., clothes, hairstyle and makeup), which may have traditionally been associated with a specific gender.
A person's gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver's license. A person's gender may change over time.
Some people may not identify with a specific gender.
Men+: The gender category "Men+" includes men (and/or boys), as well as some non-binary people.
Women+: The gender category "Women+" includes women (and/or girls), as well as some non-binary people.
Contact information
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