This report was published by the Assembly of Seven Generations.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

For many Indigenous peoples, employment has been a struggle. Over the decades, we’ve seen a higher than average rate of unemployment for Indigenous peoples compared to the non-Indigenous population in Canada. 4 The disparity of unemployment rates for Indigenous peoples compared to non-Indigenous peoples correlates to the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples that live in poverty, who are incarcerated, and/or who are impacted by the child welfare system, to name a few. In addition to these factors that correlate to unemployment rates, simply being a young Indigenous person can also lead to a lack of opportunities. All of these experiences stem from a history of colonial violence and are interrelated with the legacy of residential schools.

The findings in this report are targeted for employers to better understand how to meet the needs of Indigenous employees and how to maintain good relationships with Indigenous communities and their Indigenous employees. We believe that up-to-date and ethical research led by Indigenous peoples is important to know how things are going and where to go next. There is very little research that exists for and by Indigenous youth, especially urban Indigenous youth. Indigenous youth that live and work in urban areas deserve to be heard and we hope that this report helps to amplify their voices.