Ethno-racial Disparities in Canada’s Labour Market: the Case of Recent Graduates

This study explores the labour market outcomes of recent-graduate visible-minorities who did not obtain any non-Canadian educational credentials, of any level, prior to their graduation (e.g. “generation 1.5+”). Using the 2013 National Graduates Survey, which surveyed those who graduated from Canadian public-postsecondary institutions in the 2009-2010 academic year, this study assesses the incomes and (un)employment statuses of Canada’s four largest ethno-racial groups—Whites, South Asians, Chinese, and Blacks. Approximately 93% of the subsample under analysis is Canadian-born. The results show that, amongst those who held a full-time job at the time of the survey, the visible-minority subgroups do not experience any earnings penalties versus their White counterparts (by gender)—but rather some subgroups show earnings premiums. However, some visible-minority subgroups, such as the South Asian males, show substantially higher odds of being unemployed versus their White counterparts (by gender). Limitations and implications are discussed.