Youth and Indigenous People Collected CERB at Higher per Capita Rates: Statistics Canada
"Recently released data shows that 35.2 per cent of all Canadian workers who earned at least $5,000 in 2019 collected Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments between March 15 and Sept. 26, 2020. ... That percentage climbed to 41.5 per cent among First Nations, 40.3 per cent among Inuit and 36.2 per cent among Metis, according to Statistics Canada. Non-Indigenous people received the federal benefit at a rate of 33.9 per cent."
"The federal government agency partially attributed the higher rate of CERB collection among Indigenous people to their overrepresentation in jobs that offer relatively low annual compensation. ... 'Previous research has highlighted the disproportionate social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous people, including a greater impact on their ability to meet financial obligations or essential needs and a slower labour market recovery,' Statistics Canada added in its June 6 report."
"The bureau also noted that the country’s Indigenous population is also significantly younger than the non-Indigenous population which, 'given the greater percentage of CERB recipients among youth across Canada, also helps to explain the greater proportion of Indigenous workers who received CERB payments in 2020.'"
Nunavut News, June 8, 2021: "Youth and Indigenous people collected CERB at higher per capita rates: Statistics Canada," by Derek Neary
Lamb, D. & Verma, A. (2021). Nonstandard Employment and Indigenous Earnings Inequality in Canada. Journal of Industrial Relations, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221856211021128 (23 pages, PDF)
The Conference Board of Canada, May 20, 2021: "Technological Change in the North: How STEM Skills Can Help Indigenous Workers Adapt," by Jane Cooper. Dataset (excel sheet download)
The Conference Board of Canada, June 11, 2020: Incorporating Indigenous Cultures and Realities in STEM, by Jane Cooper, (26 pages, PDF)
Photo Source: (2021). CERB [Photograph]. Nunavut News. https://www.nunavutnews.com/news/youth-and-indigenous-people-collected-cerb-at-higher-per-capita-rates-statistics-canada/
