Statistics Canada to start collecting race-based jobs data from July

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Statistics Canada will start including details about people’s race in its monthly employment data in a bid to reflect more accurately the harm done by the coronavirus outbreak, the agency said on Thursday.

The additional information will first be included in the jobs report for July, which is due to be released on Aug 7.

“Statistics Canada recognizes that the social, economic and labor market impacts of COVID-19 have not been equally felt by all Canadians,” spokesman Martin Magnan said via email.

The federal agency’s Labor Force Survey does not currently include figures on whether people belong to a visible minority.

“The collection of information disaggregated by race and visible minority status will add to the (survey’s) ability to provide insights on populations of interest and assist in making evidence-based decisions in support of the recovery,” said Magnan.

Thousands have taken part in a series of anti-racism rallies across Canada following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeated on Thursday that Ottawa needed to do much more to address what he called “systemic racism” in Canada.