Overview of the 2021 Employment Equity Act Report
On this page
- List of tables
- Overview
- Designated groups in the federally-regulated private sector
- Key initiatives related to employment equity
Alternate formats
List of tables
- Table 1: Representation, availability and attainment rate (by percentage)
- Table 2: Highest and lowest representation rate (by percentage)
- Table 3: Shares of hires, promotions and terminations (by percentage)
- Table 4: Distribution of workers in permanent full-time positions who earned a salary (by percentage)
Overview
The Employment Equity Act Annual Report 2021 provides the latest information on the representation of designated groups in federally regulated private-sector workplaces. This overview features key highlights and initiatives related to employment equity.
Designated groups in the federally-regulated private sector
Workforce
The federally regulated private-sector workforce includes 735,790 employees. Designated groups members are represented as follows:
- women: 287,425
- Aboriginal peoples: 17,616
- persons with disabilities: 28,811
- members of visible minorities: 191,389
| Designated groups | Representation rate | Overall Canadian labour market availability* | Attainment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 39.1** | 48.2 | 81.0** |
| Aboriginal peoples | 2.4*** | 4.0 | 59.9*** |
| Persons with disabilities | 3.9*** | 9.1 | 43.0*** |
| Members of visible minorities | 26.0*** | 21.3 | 122.1*** |
- * Sources: Statistics Canada, 2016 Census and Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017.
- **Decrease compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
- ***Increase compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
| Designated groups | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 55.4 in banking* | 28.3 in transportation* |
| Aboriginal peoples | 4.1 in 'other'** | 1.4 in banking** |
| Persons with disabilities | 5.8 in banking** | 2.2 in 'other'*** |
| Members of visible minorities | 38.5 in banking** | 16.6 in 'other'** |
- *Decrease compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
- **Increase compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
- ***Stable compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
| Designated groups | Hires | Promotions | Terminations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 32.7* | 45.0* | 34.6*** |
| Aboriginal peoples | 2.4*** | 2.1** | 2.5*** |
| Persons with disabilities | 2.0* | 3.9** | 3.3** |
| Members of visible minorities | 24.9* | 33.9** | 23.0* |
- *Decrease compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
- **Increase compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
- ***Stable compared to the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2020.
Salaries
The permanent full-time workforce includes 239,503 women and 402,289 men.
| Designated groups | Under $50,000 Women |
Under $50,000 Men |
Between $50,000 and $99,999 Women |
Between $50,000 and $99,999 Men |
$100,000 and over Women |
$100,000 and over Men |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 25.1 | 17.6 | 56.7 | 55.8 | 18.2 | 26.6 |
| Aboriginal peoples | 32.1 | 20.7 | 55.5 | 56.5 | 12.5 | 22.8 |
| Persons with disabilities | 25.9 | 18.3 | 57.9 | 57.3 | 16.2 | 24.4 |
| Members of visible minorities | 25.9 | 19.7 | 55.9 | 55.9 | 18.1 | 24.4 |
Key initiatives related to employment equity
Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity
The Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity program provides $3 million in annual funding for projects aimed at reducing barriers faced by members of designated groups in federally regulated private-sector workplaces.
Employment Equity Act Review
The Employment Equity Act Review Task Force will advise the Minister of Labour on how to modernize the Act and its supporting programs.
Pay gap reporting
Pay gap data by designated groups will be available online in 2022 to 2023.
For more information, visit the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2021.