Nicholas Salter, Executive Director of PERT, says closing employment gaps for English-speaking Quebecers is not just about fairness but a smart economic move that could boost the province’s economy by $1.5 billion a year. Photo: Courtesy of Nicholas Salter's X social media page
Lost opportunity for Quebec economy: study shows linguistic disparity
Tashi Farmilo
English-speaking workers in Quebec are being left behind in the job market, and it is costing the province about $1.5 billion every year. That is the main finding of a new report released by the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) on December 4. The study shows that if English-speaking Quebecers earned and worked at the same rate as French speakers, the economy would grow by more than a billion dollars annually.
"This isn’t just about language or identity," said Nicholas Salter, Executive Director of PERT. "It’s about jobs, incomes and what Quebec stands to gain by making sure all its residents can fully contribute to the workforce."
In the Outaouais, the gap is especially clear. English speakers make up more than one in five workers in the region, but they are more likely to be unemployed and earn less. Their unemployment rate is 11.1 percent compared to 8.2 percent for French-speaking workers. And even though they often have similar or higher levels of education, English-speaking workers in the Outaouais still earn around $1,600 less per year on average.
Young people, women, visible minorities and Indigenous English speakers in the region face even more obstacles finding work or moving ahead in their careers. PERT’s report points out that these gaps do not disappear when adjusting for things like age, education or place of birth. The problem remains, and it costs not only individuals but the whole province.
The timing is important. The province is dealing with serious worker shortages in healthcare, social services, construction and technology. English-speaking workers, who make up about 15.8 percent of the province’s labour force, could help fill those gaps if they were better supported.
The study, prepared by the Social Research Demonstration Corporation, also warns that these employment gaps are likely to continue through 2028 unless something changes. It suggests new approaches to job training, more targeted help with French-language skills and better access to government employment services for English-speaking communities. While PERT recommends more funding for short-term training in English, support for bilingual workplace programs and better outreach to English-speaking job seekers through community organizations.
"We need the Quebec government to step up and work with communities to close these gaps," said Salter. "Investing in English-speaking workers isn’t just fair. It is smart economic policy that will fuel Québec’s economy and benefit everyone in the province."
