Education, learning and training: Research Paper Series
Labour market outcomes of Indigenous journeypersons in Canada
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Introduction
Over the last several decades, the number of Indigenous people in Canada has steadily increased. In the most recent Census (2021), 1.8 million Indigenous people were enumerated, representing a 9.4% increase from 2016.Note In comparison, the growth of the non-Indigenous population over the same period was 5.3%.
Results from the 2021 Census also observed a trend seen in previous censuses – specifically, the Indigenous population is younger than the non-Indigenous population by almost a decade.
Although the number of Indigenous people in Canada has steadily increased, and is younger than the non-Indigenous population, Indigenous people generally have a lower participation and employment rate, and a higher unemployment rate in the labour market compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts - especially in occupations that tend to require higher levels of education.Note The existing gap in postsecondary educational attainment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada likely contributes to this.
Efforts to address these inequalities and advance reconciliation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are being made through various organizations and government agreements. Efforts include the Government of Canada’s commitment to working closely with Indigenous Peoples to better support their plans for self-determination, recognizing and promoting Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing and self-government. Investments are also being made in health, social, and educational services.Note Note
One important educational pathway in Canada is vocational training. This is a pathway many postsecondary students take to obtain hands-on training in a trade or occupation, after which students can become skilled trades people in high demand and essential industries, such as construction, transportation, information and digital technology, and the services sector.
In recent years, the number of new registrations in apprenticeship programs has not kept pace with the demand for skilled tradespeople. An aging workforce, particularly among the non-Indigenous population, combined with significant infrastructure investments, has increased the demand for skilled tradespeople.
Barriers to participation and success persist in the skilled trades for key groups, including Indigenous peoples, women, and racialized groups. Understanding Indigenous people’s representation and outcomes as journeypersons may lead to greater diversity and inclusion in the skilled trades, as well as increased labour supply.Note This study considers the labour market outcomes of recently certified First Nations (on- and off-reserve), Métis and Inuit journeypersons in Canada.
First Nations men are underrepresented among Indigenous journeypersons
According to the 2016 Census, Indigenous men made up 4.5% of the Indigenous population in Canada, whereas Indigenous women made up 4.8%. Of the Indigenous journeypersons aged 18 to 64 who received their certificates between 2008 and 2017, Indigenous men comprised 4.1% and Indigenous women comprised 5.1%. Overall, Indigenous people’s representation among recently certified journeypersons were comparable to their proportion of the Canadian population.
Data table for Chart 1
| Men | Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | |
| Canadian population (2016 Census) | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| Indigenous journeypersons, who certified between 2008 and 2017 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5.4 |
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Note: Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval of estimates. Source: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 – 2017 and 2016 Census). |
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However, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit representation among the journeypersons population differed from their representations in the Canadian population. For example, among Indigenous people aged 18 to 64 in Canada, over half (56% of men and 57% of women) identified as First Nations. Despite this, First Nations men (39%) and women (42%) were underrepresented among Indigenous journeypersons.
In contrast, while Métis men (38%) and women (37%) accounted for less than two-fifths of the Canadian Indigenous population, Métis men (56%) and women (55%) accounted for over half of Indigenous journeypersons, accounting for the largest share of male and female Indigenous journeypersons.
Among the Inuit and All other Indigenous identities group, their representation was similar among the Canadian Indigenous population and journeypersons for both sexes.
Data table for Chart 2
| First Nations | Métis | Inuk | Other | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | |
| Men | ||||||||||||
| Canadian population (2016 Census) | 56 | 56 | 56 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Indigenous journeypersons, who finished their apprenticeship between 2008 and 2017 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 56 | 55 | 58 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Women | ||||||||||||
| Canadian population (2016 Census) | 57 | 57 | 57 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Indigenous journeypersons, who finished their apprenticeship between 2008 and 2017 | 42 | 39 | 46 | 55 | 51 | 58 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
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Note: Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval of estimates. Source: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 – 2017 and 2016 Census). |
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Male Indigenous journeypersons were less likely to work in unionized workplaces than their non-Indigenous counterparts
An important indicator when considering labour market outcomes is union membership. The advantages gained during a collective bargaining process can significantly improve the personal and professional lives of union members. For example, established pay scales based on experience and level of certification may result in more equitable workplaces. Meanwhile, collectively agreed to hours of work, leave, and overtime may help union members find a work-life balance. Other advantages commonly associated with a unionized workplace include increased job security, training, health care, pension plans, and improved health and safety standards.
Of those who certified between 2008 and 2017, just under half (48.1%) of male Indigenous journeypersons paid union dues one year after certification. The share was slightly higher among their non-Indigenous counterparts (50.6%). These differences in union membership can largely be attributed to the differences in jurisdictions in which Indigenous and non-Indigenous journeypersons work. Specifically, as examined later, Indigenous people are more concentrated in western Canada, where union membership is overall lower, compared with other parts of Canada.
Additionally, just under one third (31%) of non-Indigenous male journeypersons had employer-provided registered pension plans, compared to a quarter (26%) of Indigenous journeypersons.
In contrast, among women, Indigenous journeypersons were more likely than their non-Indigenous counterparts to work in a unionized workplace. However, the results varied across identity groups (see Appendix: Table 1).
Interprovincial mobility is higher among Indigenous journeypersons than non-Indigenous journeypersons
Interprovincial mobilityNote allows individuals to seek employment opportunities in other labour markets that may offer jobs with higher wages or with skills shortages.Note This is especially important as concerns continue to grow around tight labour markets and regional skilled labour imbalances.Note Interprovincial mobility is facilitated by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) through the Red Seal Program,Note and by the Government of Canada, through investments in education and relocation expenses to support tradespeople to take up jobs across the country.Note
Higher rates of interprovincial mobility were seen among Indigenous journeypersons who certified between 2008 and 2017, one year after certification. Indigenous men were almost twice as likely to certify in a jurisdiction different from their place of residence or employment, compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts (15% vs 8%). Indigenous women were also more mobile than their non-Indigenous counterparts. In particular, the share of First Nations women who were mobile (9%) was almost twice as high as that seen for non-Indigenous women (5%).
Indigenous journeypersons are more likely to complete apprenticeship training than challenge the qualification exam
Although apprenticeships are usually thought of as the primary route into the trades,Note there are two major pathways to becoming a certified journeyperson in Canada. The first is through the completion of an apprenticeship training program, where apprentices must be registered by an employer with their provincial/territorial authority and then complete on-the-job hours, under the supervision of a qualified journeyperson, in addition to the in-school technical training requirements.Note The apprentice is then eligible to write a qualifying examination and, if successful, becomes a certified journeyperson. The second pathway is for those who already have extensive experience in the trade. This latter group, known as trade qualifiers, can challenge the exam without having completed or even started an apprenticeship training program in Canada. When trade qualifiers successfully pass their respective certification exam, they become certified journeypersons.
When achieving trade certification, Indigenous journeypersons were more likely to complete apprenticeship training than challenge the examination (Chart 3). One-third of non-Indigenous men and almost one-fifth of non-Indigenous women challenged the qualification exam without apprenticeship training. In contrast, these figures were nearly ten percentage points lower for both men and women First Nations and Métis journeypersons.
In general, trade qualifiers tend to have lower labour market outcomes than those that followed the more traditional route of certification through an apprenticeship program. For example, in 2018, four years after certification, the median employment income of those who completed an apprenticeship program was 5.5% higher than the income of trade qualifiers. One reason for this is that journeypersons who finished apprenticeship training likely had access to higher quality training and professional networks.
Data table for Chart 3
| Non-Indigenous journeypersons | All Indigenous journeypersons | First Nations | Métis | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | |
| Men | 30 | 30 | 30 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| Women | 19 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 13 |
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Note: Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval of estimates. Source: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 – 2017 and 2016 Census). |
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Indigenous journeypersons are more likely to certify in Red Seal trades
In general, journeypersons in the Red Seal trades tend to have higher median incomes and tend to be more mobile than journeypersons without the Red Seal designation.Note Note This is because Red Seal endorsements provide confidence to both employers and consumers that a tradesperson is skilled and knowledgeable. This, in turn, could open doors to higher wages, sustaining employment and career advancement.Note
Indigenous journeypersons were more likely to certify in a Red Seal trade than non-Indigenous journeypersons (81% vs. 76%) (Chart 4). Among Indigenous journeypersons, Métis had the highest percentage of Red Seal trade certifications at 83% for men and 72% for women.
Data table for Chart 4
| Non-Indigenous journeypersons | All Indigenous journeypersons | First Nations | Métis | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | |
| Men | 76 | 75 | 76 | 81 | 80 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 81 | 83 | 82 | 84 |
| Women | 60 | 60 | 61 | 69 | 67 | 72 | 66 | 61 | 70 | 72 | 68 | 75 |
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Note: Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval of estimates. Source: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Registered Apprenticeship Information System 2008 - 2017 and 2016 Census). |
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Indigenous journeypersons are more likely to certify as welders than non-Indigenous journeypersons
Regarding choice of trades, differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous journeypersons were observed (Table 2).
For men, the most popular trades for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous journeypersons were construction electricians, followed by carpenters, accounting for over one-fifth of certifications between 2008 and 2017. In contrast, the welding trade was not as popular among the non-Indigenous male cohort. Certifications in welding among Indigenous men (7.8%) were almost double those seen among non-Indigenous men (4.1%).
When comparing trade choices between male First Nations and Métis journeypersons, both groups were just as likely to certify as automotive service technicians, welders, and industrial mechanics.
For women, the hairstylist trade was the most popular trade among Indigenous (38%) and non-Indigenous journeypersons (40%), making up two-fifths of all certifications between 2008 and 2017. A few trades showed differences between non-Indigenous and Indigenous women, notably among the information technology support assistance and welder trades.Note A larger percentage of non-Indigenous women (6.6%) certified as information technology support assistants than Indigenous women (4.4%). In contrast, the percentage of Indigenous women (3.3%) certifying in welding was more than double that of non-Indigenous women (1.3%). No differences were observed in certifications in the rest of the top 10 trades, such as cooks, construction electricians and carpenters between non-Indigenous and Indigenous female journeypersons.
Among Indigenous journeypersons, First Nations women were more likely to certify as cooks and welders than Métis women.
Over half of Indigenous journeypersons certified in the western provinces
Most journeypersons obtained their certificates from Ontario, Quebec, or Alberta, although the distribution varies between Indigenous and non-Indigenous cohorts and sexes (Chart 5).
For non-Indigenous men, almost two-thirds of trade certifications were granted in Ontario and Quebec. In contrast, trade certifications among Indigenous men were distributed across the western provinces, such as Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Combined with its population size and its offering of non-Red Seal trades attracting female apprentices, many female journeypersons certified in Ontario. More than two in five non-Indigenous journeypersons and a third of First Nations journeypersons received their certificates in Ontario. In contrast, for Métis women, the number of certificates were highest in Alberta (32%), followed by Ontario (23%).
For male First Nations journeypersons, most obtained their certificates from Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, where most First Nations people live in Canada.Note Although the population of First Nations people in Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan was higher than Métis people, more Métis journeypersons certified in these provinces than First Nations journeypersons. Also, certifications among both Métis men (28%) and women (32%) were highest in Alberta, compared to their certification rates in Ontario (15% for Métis men and 23% for Métis women).
Jurisdiction of certification can influence the median employment income (among other factors, see Table 3). As illustrated in Chart 5, more Indigenous journeypersons certified in the western provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Manitoba), which tend to have higher median incomes than other provinces.Note In contrast, a high proportion of non-Indigenous journeypersons certified in Quebec, which tends to have one of the lowest median employment incomes by jurisdiction and one of the lowest median incomes for the general population across the provinces.Note
Data table for Chart 5
| Atlantic Canada | Quebec | Ontario | Manitoba | Saskatchewan | Alberta | British Columbia | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | percent | lower limit | upper limit | |
| Men | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-Indigenous journeypersons | 6 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
| All Indigenous journeypersons | 7 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 23 | 36 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
| First Nations | 10 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 22 |
| Métis | 5 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 14 | 12 | 15 |
| Women | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-Indigenous journeypersons | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 44 | 43 | 45 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| All Indigenous journeypersons | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 27 | 25 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 21 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 17 |
| First Nations | 5 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 34 | 29 | 38 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 23 |
| Métis | Note x: suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act | Note x: suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act | Note x: suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act | 12 | 9 | 15 | 23 | 19 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 27 | 36 | 10 | 8 | 13 |
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x suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act Note: Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval of estimates. Source: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 – 2017 and 2016 Census). |
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Male Indigenous journeypersons were more likely to certify in trades with higher median employment incomes than non-Indigenous journeypersons, one year after certification
Male Indigenous journeypersons generally had better labour market outcomes than their non-Indigenous counterparts one year after certification (Table 1). The median employment income of male Indigenous journeypersons was $71,100, approximately $7,000 higher than their non-Indigenous male counterparts. Métis journeypersons had the highest median employment ($73,500), followed by First Nations journeypersons ($68,400), and non-Indigenous journeypersons ($64,000).
Findings, thus far, have shown that Indigenous and non-Indigenous journeypersons differ in many respects including their choice of trade, their pathway to certification, the absence or attainment of a Red Seal endorsement, mobility, and their jurisdiction of certification.Note Collectively, these characteristics can impact an individual’s income.
For men, over half of the income gap was explained by the choice of trade between Indigenous and non-Indigenous journeypersons (Model 2). The remaining differences were then explained by differing characteristics, such as interprovincial mobility, Red Seal endorsement, and the jurisdiction of certification (Model 3). Similar results also explained the income gap between First Nations and Métis men.
After these various factors were controlled for, there were no statistically significant differences in the median incomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous male journeypersons (Table 3).
For women, the median employment income of Indigenous journeypersons was $27,300, which is not significantly different from non-Indigenous female journeypersons.Note However, as shown in Table 2, Indigenous journeypersons tended to certify in trades and regions with higher earnings and had higher rates of interprovincial mobility. After accounting for these characteristics, the median income of Indigenous journeypersons was $1,900 lower than non-Indigenous journeypersons, and the differences were statistically significant (Model 3).
Receipt of the Canada Emergency Response Benefits
In 2020, the Government of Canada introduced a temporary benefit, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), to support Canadians facing work interruptions due to COVID-19 and related public health measures. The CERB provided $500 a week to eligible workers from March 15th to September 27th of 2020 (see Su and Jin, 2021, for more details). This section examines Indigenous journeypersons’ receipt of these benefits.Note
For the 28 weeks that CERB was available, the percentage of journeypersons who received CERB, at least once, varied across Indigenous identity groups. For men, non-Indigenous journeypersons (36%) and First Nations journeypersons (37%) received the CERB at similar rates. This same measure was slightly lower for Métis male journeypersons (32%).
Among women, a lower percentage of First Nations women (48%) received CERB than their non-Indigenous counterparts (55%). Although the difference was not statistically significant, the percentage was also slightly lower, with 53%, for Métis female journeypersons (Chart A-1).
Data table for Chart A-1
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Non-Indigenous | 35.6 | 55.4 |
| All Indigenous peoples | 34.4Note * | 50.8Note ** |
| First Nations | 36.9 | 47.9Note ** |
| Métis | 32.2Note ** | 52.6 |
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As was shown in previous sections, when Indigenous peoples entered the skilled trades, they were more likely to pursue higher paying Red-Seal trades and were more likely to be from western Canada than their non-Indigenous counterparts. These factors could have impacted one’s need for CERB. After controlling for geography and trades using regression analysis, First Nations men were more likely to receive CERB payments (+3.6%) than their non-Indigenous counterparts (Chart A-2).Note Although Indigenous women were less likely to receive the CERB than non-Indigenous women, the differences were no longer statistically significant after controlling for trade and geography.
Data table for Chart A-2
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| All Indigenous peoples | 1.47Note * | -2.91 |
| First Nations | 3.56Note ** | -5.13 |
| Métis | -0.31 | -1.86 |
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Summary
Using data from the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform, this paper examined the labour market outcomes of recently certified Indigenous journeypersons in Canada from 2008 to 2017.
The study found that Indigenous journeypersons tended to certify in trades and regions with higher earnings, had higher rates of interprovincial mobility, and were more likely to obtain certification through an apprenticeship program rather than through trade qualification, factors which lead to positive labour market outcomes for the population of Indigenous journeypersons.
That said, this study noted a number of imbalances. More specifically, First Nations men are underrepresented among Indigenous journeypersons. As well, Indigenous journeypersons had lower rates of union membership and employer-sponsored pensions which may limit access to non-wage benefits such as medical and dental plans.Note Moreover, after controlling for several factors in the career paths of female Indigenous journeypersons, one would have expected to see higher median annual earnings. The reason behind these imbalances requires further investigation.
Note to readers
Limitations
It is important to note some limitations of this paper so that the findings and data from this paper can be used appropriately. Firstly, readers should note that due to the small sample size of Indigenous identity groups, it was not always possible to provide detailed analysis separately for First Nations people, Métis and Inuit. Many Inuit-specific statistics could not be published due to a combination of unavailable data and purposeful suppression to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act.
Secondly, the paper operates under the assumption that those who identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit will maintain their choice of identity throughout the censuses.Note However, the counts for Indigenous people and individuals identifying with a particular group may change for several reasons. The change (increase or decrease) in the number of people reporting Indigenous identity, Registered or Treaty Indian status, or First Nation or Indian band membership is caused by demographic growth and changes in self-reported identification. In addition, the counts for Indigenous identity can be affected by changes made to definitions and legislation.
Thirdly, data on income is based on reported tax returns, which do not include occupation or account for full-time or part-time status and is vulnerable to inaccurate or missing data due to incorrect reporting and non-filing.
Data Sources
Data used for this paper come from Statistics Canada’s Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP). The ELMLP allows for the integration of anonymized data from the Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS), the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) administrative file, and other administrative datasets and surveys, including the census.
The RAIS provides information on individuals who registered for training and those who obtain certification within a trade where apprenticeship training is being offered. For this study, the records of journeypersons certified between 2008 and 2017 were used.Note For a small number of journeypersons who received multiple certificates for the same trade from a jurisdiction, only the latest record was used for analysis.
As the RAIS does not contain information on whether a person identifies as First Nations people, Métis or Inuk, the response in the 2016 Census of Population (2016 Census) is used to designate some journeypersons who identify themselves as Indigenous persons. Approximately 25% of journeypersons in the RAIS responded to the long-form census that includes population group questions, and those records were weighted in analysis.
The T1 Family File (T1FF) is used as a source of income and labour market-related information. As tax files do not have information on the period or duration of employment, it is possible that some journeypersons included in this study did not work full-time during the entire calendar year. In addition, there is no information on occupation. The income used in this study is the total employment income during the calendar year, of which a part, or the entire amount, might be earned in a job or jobs unrelated to the trade the journeyperson certified in.
In addition, to capture the diversity of the Indigenous population in Canada, this information was combined with the 2016 Census of Population. According to the 2016 Census of Population, “Aboriginal identity” refers to whether the person identified as Indigenous. This includes those who are First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) and/or those who are Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada), and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band. Aboriginal peoples of Canada are defined in the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35 (2) as including the Indian, Inuit and Métis people of Canada.
The 2016 Census of Population enumerated Indigenous people using five categories: First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Multiple Aboriginal Identities, and Aboriginal identities not included elsewhere.Note Although the paper focuses on journeypersons who identified as First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, data on journeypersons who identified as having “Multiple Aboriginal identities” or “Aboriginal identities not included elsewhere” were combined under the category of “All other Indigenous identities” due to the small number of journeypersons in these groups. Since data from the 2016 Census of Population is being used, First Nations people living on-and off-reserve and status and non-status First Nations people, Inuit and Métis are included.
The administrative file of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is integrated to RAIS to examine the journeypersons’ CERB receipts in the last section of the paper.
Methods
All estimates are weighted using the person weight in the 2016 Census.
To conduct statistical significance tests and to compute the confidence interval of estimates, standard errors are estimated by the Balanced Repeated Replication method using the replication weights. See the Sampling and Weighting Technical Report of the 2016 Census for more information.Note
Definitions
Indigenous identity refers to whether the person identified as First Nations people, Métis, or Inuit. This includes those who are First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) or those who are Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada), and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band.
Both “Aboriginal” and “Indigenous,” refers to individuals identifying themselves as First Nations (North American Indian) people, Métis, or Inuk (Inuit). The term “Indigenous” is used in this paper.
Aboriginal identity is derived from data collected in three questions: Aboriginal group (Question 18); Registered or Treaty Indian status (Question 20); and Membership in a First Nation or Indian ban (Question 21). See Aboriginal Peoples Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2016 for more information.
Journeypersons are those individuals who passed the qualification exam and received their certificate of qualification from the apprenticeship authority. One can become a journeyperson through apprenticeship training or challenging the exam without becoming a registered apprentice. When a distinction is necessary, the latter cases are referred to as trade qualifiers.
Mobility is defined by comparing the jurisdiction of certification and the jurisdiction of residence or employment in one year after certification. A journeyperson is mobile if they filed tax or had employment incomes outside the province or territory of certification.
Employment income is the sum of wages or salaries, other employment income, and net self-employment income. It also includes tax-exempt employment income earned by from the T90 form, “Income Exempt from Tax under the Indian Act.” Net self-employment income can be positive, negative, or zero. As a result, small number of journeypersons with self-employment income had negative income, and their income is included in analysis. All income amounts are inflation-adjusted to 2018 constant dollars using the Consumer Price Index.
Red Seal Trades - To help set common standards across trades and facilitate the mobility of skilled workers across Canada, the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) administers the Red Seal Program. Journeypersons of designated trades (Red Seal trades) who have successfully passed the Red Seal examination receive a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial trade certificate. When affixed to a provincial or territorial trade certificate, the Red Seal indicates that a tradesperson has demonstrated the knowledge required for the national standard in that trade.Note There are over 50 trades in which tradespeople can obtain a Red Seal endorsement, such as automotive service technician, carpenter, cook, plumber, or welder.
Appendix
| Journeypersons | Filed tax | Median employment income | Median employment income, excluding those with self-employment income | Reported self-employment income | Had self-employment income only | Paid union dues | Had a registered pension plan | Low income status, after tax | Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | percent | 2018 dollar | percentTable 1 Note 1 | |||||||
| Men | ||||||||||
| Non-Indigenous | 383,860 | 95.4 | 64,100 | 65,500 | 8.8 | 2.3 | 50.6 | 31.5 | 2.0 | 8.2 |
| All Indigenous | 16,400 | 92.6Note ** | 71,100Note ** | 71,900Note ** | 7.3Note ** | 1.6Note ** | 48.1Note ** | 26.7Note ** | 2.2 | 13.4Note ** |
| First Nations | 6,400 | 92.4Note ** | 68,400Note ** | 69,100Note ** | 5.6Note ** | 1.5Note ** | 47.2Note ** | 23.1Note ** | 3.2Note ** | 14.5Note ** |
| Métis | 9,240 | 92.6Note ** | 73,500Note ** | 74,700Note ** | 8.7 | 1.6Note ** | 48.5Note * | 28.8Note ** | 1.5Note * | 12.7Note ** |
| Women | ||||||||||
| Non-Indigenous | 53,410 | 95.6 | 27,600 | 28,800 | 13.3 | 5.2 | 23.9 | 13.3 | 6.8 | 4.5 |
| All Indigenous | 2,880 | 92.7Note ** | 27,300 | 28,000 | 12.1 | 4.3 | 27.4Note * | 13.5 | 9.3Note * | 7.9Note ** |
| First Nations | 1,220 | 92.7Note * | 25,600 | 26,800 | 10.5 | 4.1 | 24.9 | 12.2 | 11.9Note ** | 8.6Note ** |
| Métis | 1,570 | 92.8Note * | 28,100 | 29,400 | 13.5 | 4.7 | 29.3Note ** | 14.1 | 7.1 | 7.7Note * |
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| Journeypersons | Construction electrician | Carpenter | Welder | Automotive service technician | Plumber | Industrial mechanic (Millwright) | Steamfitter/pipefitter | Service station attendant | Heavy duty equipment technician | Truck and transport mechanic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | number | percent | |||||||||
| Non-Indigenous | 383,860 | 13.8 | 9.9 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
| All Indigenous | 16,400 | 13.5 | 9.8 | 7.8Note ** | 4.0Note ** | 4.6 | 4.6Note ** | 4.1Note * | 1.6Note ** | 4.2Note ** | 2.1 |
| First Nations | 6,400 | 12.7 | 10.8 | 7.5Note ** | 4.1Note ** | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 1.5Note ** | 3.8Note * | 2.5 |
| Métis | 9,240 | 14.1 | 9.1 | 7.9Note ** | 4.0Note ** | 5.1Note * | 5.0Note ** | 4.5Note * | 1.6Note ** | 4.4Note ** | 1.8Note ** |
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| Journeypersons | Hairstylist | Information technology support associate | Early childhood educator | Cook | Personal support worker | Service station attendant | Construction electrician | Welder | Professional cook (BC) | Carpenter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | number | percent | |||||||||
| Non-Indigenous | 53,410 | 38.4 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| All Indigenous | 2,880 | 40.4 | 4.4Note ** | 2.4Note ** | 5.5 | 1.3Note ** | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.3Note ** | 4.8Note ** | 1.8 |
| First Nations | 1,220 | 37.8 | 4.3Note * | 3.2Note ** | 7.6 | 1.4Note ** | 1.4Note ** | 2.8 | 3.7Note * | 8.1Note ** | 1.7 |
| Métis | 1,570 | 42.1 | 4.7 | 1.9Note ** | 4.0 | 1.2Note ** | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
|
|||||||||||
| Model 1-1 | Model 1-2 | Model 2-1 | Model 2-2 | Model 3-1 | Model 3-2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| median employment income | ||||||
| Men | ||||||
| All Indigenous journeypersons | $6,841Note ** | Note ...: not applicable | $2,560Note ** | Note ...: not applicable | -$80 | Note ...: not applicable |
| First Nations journeypersons | Note ...: not applicable | $4,199Note ** | Note ...: not applicable | $1,981Note * | Note ...: not applicable | $222 |
| Métis Journeypersons | Note ...: not applicable | $8,927Note ** | Note ...: not applicable | $3,130Note ** | Note ...: not applicable | -$486 |
| number | ||||||
| Number of observations | 313,020 | 312,460 | 313,020 | 312,460 | 313,020 | 312,460 |
| median employment income | ||||||
| Women | ||||||
| All Indigenous journeypersons | -$205 | Note ...: not applicable | -$1,078 | Note ...: not applicable | -$1,892Note ** | Note ...: not applicable |
| First Nations journeypersons | Note ...: not applicable | -$2,886Note * | Note ...: not applicable | -$2,418Note * | Note ...: not applicable | -$3,745Note ** |
| Métis Journeypersons | Note ...: not applicable | $1,715Note * | Note ...: not applicable | $338 | Note ...: not applicable | -$795 |
| number | ||||||
| Number of observations | 37,360 | 37,310 | 37,360 | 37,310 | 37,360 | 37,310 |
| variables controlled | ||||||
| Control | None | Trade | Trade, region, mobility, trade qualifier, union membership, self-employment | |||
... not applicable
1. Three regression models were estimated, for men and women separately. In Model 1, no control variables other than Indigenous identity were included to measure the total difference in the median incomes. In Model 2, differences in trades were controlled for using a series of dummy variables for selected trades. In Model 3, a number of other characteristics, such as union membership, whether one was a trade qualifier, region of certification, and mobility, were accounted for, in addition to trade type. 2. In the regression analysis, to control for differences in trade choices, it was necessary to have enough observations in each trade. Due to the smaller population size of Indigenous journeypersons, there were many trades that had to be excluded from the regression analysis. This restriction reduced the sample sizes. As such, the results of Model 1 are not equivalent to the estimates in Table 1, where journeypersons of all trades are used. See Table 4 for the list of selected trades used in the regression analysis. Source: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Registered Apprenticeship Information System 2008 - 2017, T1 Family File 2009 - 2018, and 2016 Census) |
||||||
Table 4
Selected trades used in regression analysis
Men
Automotive Service Technician
Boilermaker
Bricklayer
Carpenter
Construction Craft Worker
Construction Electrician
Cook
Gasfitter - Class A
Hairstylist
Halocarbons/Refrigerant Tester (Vehicles)
Heavy Duty Equipment Technician
Heavy Equipment Operator
Hoist Operator
Industrial Electrician
Industrial Instrumentation and Control Technician
Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)
IT Support Associate
Insulator (Heat and Frost)
Ironworker
Lather (Interior Systems Mechanic)
Machinist
Metal Fabricator (Fitter)
Mobile Crane Operator
Motor Vehicle Body Repairer (Metal and Paint)
Painter and Decorator
Partsperson
Plumber
Power Shovel Operator
Powerline Technician
Professional Cook 1
Professional Cook 2
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic
Rig Technician
Roofer
Scaffolder
Service Station Attendant
Sheet Metal Worker
Sprinkler System Installer
Steamfitter/Pipefitter
Transport Trailer Technician
Truck and Transport Mechanic
Utility Arborist
Water Meter Installer - Plumber
Welder
Women
IT Support Associate
Early Childhood Educator
Personal Support Worker
Cook
Professional Cook 1
Professional Cook 2
Hairstylist
Service Station Attendant
Welder
Construction Electrician
Carpenter
Source: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (Registered Apprenticeship Information System 2008 – 2018 and 2016 Census).
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