The rise in self-employment among women in Canada

Release date: December 19, 2023
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Infographic: The rise in self-employment among women in Canada
Description: The rise in self-employment among women in Canada

In 2022, nearly 1 million women in Canada were self-employed, accounting for 37% of the total self-employed population. This is up from 26% in 1976.

In 1976, 34% of self-employed women were unpaid family workers,Note working mostly in agriculture. This proportion declined to 1% by 2022.

Five occupations with the highest proportion of self-employed women, 2022


Table 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1. The information is grouped by Occupation (appearing as row headers), percentage (appearing as column headers).
Occupation percentage
Retail and wholesale trade managers 6.5%
Early childhood educators and assistants 4.6%
Real estate agents and salespersons 4.5%
Light duty cleaners 4.4%
Hairstylists and barbers 4.3%

Self-employed women are less likely than self-employed men to…

  • have employees (19% versus 32%)
  • have an incorporated businessNote (34% versus 54%)

In 2021, Korean Canadian women were most likely to be self-employed


Table 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 2 percentage (appearing as column headers).
percentage
Filipino 5.1%
Black 6.3%
Racialized, not identified elsewhere 8.8%
South Asian 9.0%
Total racialized population 10.2%
Multiple 10.3%
Latin American 11.0%
Arab 11.9%
Non-racialized, non-Indigenous 12.3%
Southeast Asian 12.9%
Japanese 14.3%
West Asian 14.6%
Chinese 15.8%
Korean 19.9%

Source: Uppal, S., 2023, “Self-employment among women in Canada,” Insights on Canadian Society, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-006-X.

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2023

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

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