November 18, 2024 – Today, Pollara President & Chief Innovation Officer Craig Worden presented the results of a new Pollara Strategic Insights study on discrimination at the first session of the Financial Services Inclusion Summit 2024. The study reveals the incidence of hiring and workplace discrimination in Canada, the types of discrimination experienced, who is affected, and how it has impacted them.
When applying or interviewing for a job, three-in-ten (31%) Canadians report possibly or definitely experiencing negative impacts of bias or discrimination. In the workplace, a third (34%) of Canadians report possibly or definitely experiencing negative impacts of bias or discrimination.
- While women report similar levels of bias/discrimination as men during the application process, they are more likely to report workplace discrimination(37% for women vs. 31% for men).
- Younger Canadians report higher rates of discrimination on both fronts, with 43% experiencing discrimination during both job applications and in the workplace.
- Minority groups also experience elevated levels of discrimination, with 54%–60% of past 10-year immigrants, racialized, and LGBTQ2SIA+ respondents experiencing both hiring and workplace discrimination. Canadians with Indigenous background, non-Christian faith, or a physical and/or mental disability also over-index on experiences with discrimination – particularly in the workplace.
- Albertans are most likely to report hiring and workplace discrimination, whereas Quebec residents are least likely.
Among Canadians experiencing negative impacts of discrimination, age is – by far – the top reported type of hiring and workplace discrimination, followed by racialized status, gender identity, and physical/mental disabilities. Of course, the incidence of these types of discrimination is influenced by the size of relevant population sub-segments.
- Women are more likely than men to face both gender and age-based discrimination during the application process and in the workplace.
- Older Canadians and – less so – those aged 18-34 face higher rates of age-based discrimination during the application process and in the workplace, whereas the 35-49 age bracket reports lower levels of discrimination.
- Canadians who are members of minority groups over-index on experiencing the types of discrimination related to their identity and background.
- Albertans are more likely to experience hiring and workplace discrimination based on race and religion, as well as age-based discrimination during the hiring process. Atantic Canadians report higher levels of religion-based discrimination during hiring and in the workplace.
Among Canadians experiencing negative impacts of hiring discrimination, the top-mentioned impact – by far – is not getting the job. Among Canadians experiencing negative impacts of workplace discrimination, the top-mentioned impacts are devalued professional experience, limited access to promotions and opportunities, and unfair pay.
- Women are more likely than men to report inappropriate interviewer behaviour, unfair pay, and devalued educational credentials during the application process as well as devalued professional experience, limited access to promotions, and unfair pay in the workplace.
- Canadians who are past 10 year immigrants, racialized, and follow non-Christian faiths report higher levels of negative impacts during the application process and in the workplace. The most common impacts across these cohorts include devalued education credentials, insufficient pay for responsibilities, lower job title, and unfair pay.
- Canadians who are past 10 year immigrants are also much more likely to report higher rates of application rejection without an interview.
- Canadians who are LGBTQ2SIA+, follow non-Christian faiths, and have physical and/or mental disabilities are more likely to report inappropriate interviewer questions/behaviour, a lack of accommodation of special needs.
- Canadians who are LGBTQ2SIA are also more likely to report social avoidance in workplace.
In order to capture these insights, Pollara surveyed a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=1,500 adult (18+) Canadians from September 11-19, 2024. Online research panel surveys cannot be officially assigned a margin of error, but – for comparison purposes – a probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of + 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The dataset has been weighted according to the gender, age, and geographic distribution of Canada’s adult population per the most recent Census. Pollara Strategic Insights is a member of the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC), and this research was conducted in compliance with CRIC standards.
For more insights from this study, please read our report.
