Research summary: Education & Employment of Indigenous Peoples

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Why this study

The research looked at the education and job status of Indigenous people in Canada. It compares their experiences to non-Indigenous people.

What we did

Using data from the 2021 Census, this research looked at:

• the highest level of education that Indigenous people completed, and how it compares to non-Indigenous people
• how many Indigenous people have jobs or are unemployed, compared to non-Indigenous people, and
• how much Indigenous people earned from work, compared to non-Indigenous people

What we found

When looking at education, this research found that:

• Indigenous people had lower education levels than non-Indigenous people
• more Indigenous people finished college as their highest level of education compared to non-Indigenous people
• Indigenous adults living off-reserve had more education than those living on-reserve
• Indigenous women had more education than Indigenous men
• from 2006 to 2021, the education gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people got bigger

When looking at employment, this research found that:

• Indigenous people had lower employment than the non-Indigenous population with the same level of education

• the only exception was university graduates

• the difference in unemployment rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people got smaller as education levels went up
• Indigenous people earned less money than non-Indigenous people with the same education, except for those with university degrees

What it means

This research shows that higher educational attainment is important for Indigenous people in terms of earnings. Findings may help the Government of Canada to support policies and programs that improve access to education and job opportunities for Indigenous communities.

Contact us

Learning Branch, Learning Policy & Services Directorate, Planning, Policy and Partnerships Division

Email: esdc.nc.sspb.research-recherche.dgpss.cn.edsc@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca