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January 09, 2026LABOUR FORCE SURVEY: VISIBLE MINORITIES, DECEMBER 2025 AND ANNUAL The Labour Force Survey asks respondents about whether they identify with visible minority categories (as used in the Census): White, South Asian (e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan), Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai), West Asian (e.g., Iranian, Afghan), Korean, Other.
December 2025 (3 month moving average, unadjusted)
Nationally, the unemployment rate for those who identify as a visible minority population (7.8%) was higher than the unemployment rate for those that did not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population (5.4%). All regions had an unemployment rate higher for those who identify with a visible minority group than for those who did not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population with the exception of Atlantic Canada. This gap was highest in Québec. In Atlantic Canada, the unemployment rate was 6.9% for those who identify with a visible minority group and 7.2% for those that did not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population.
National participation rates were higher for those who identify with a visible minority population (71.6%) than for those that did not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population (61.5%). Participation rates of those who identify with a visible minority population were higher in all regions in December 2025. In Atlantic Canada, those who identify with a visible minority population reported a 79.1% participation rate, compared to a 57.0% participation rate for those that do not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population, the largest gap among regions.
Nationally, employment rates were higher for those who identified with visible minority populations (66.0%) than for those who did not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population (58.2%). Employment rates were higher for those who identify with visible minority populations in every region when compared against those who do not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population in December 2025. The gap between the employment rates for those who identified with visible minority populations (73.7%) and those who did not (52.9%) was highest in Atlantic Canada.
Canada's unemployment rates were generally higher across visible minority populations than for those who did not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population (Exception: Filipino).
In December 2025, the unemployment rates of males in all visible minority populations were lower (7.6%) than for females in visible minority populations (8.2%), which was not the case for populations that did not identify as Indigenous or visible minorities. Among specific populations, female unemployment rates were lower than for males among Chinese, Filipino, Arab, and South East Asian, as well as for those that identified with multiple visible minority populations and those not indigenous or visible minority.
Labour force participation rates for those identifying with a visible minority were generally higher when compared those who do not identify as Indigenous or a visible minority (exception: Chinese and Japanese populations).
Participation rates were higher for men (76.8%) than for women (66.4%) among all visible minority populations (exception: multiple visible minority). Male participations rates were also higher than for females for those who did not identify as indigenous or visible minority.
Employment rates were generally higher among visible minority populations than among those who identified neither as Indigenous nor as a visible minority (exception: Chinese and Japanese populations). Men reported higher employment rates than women in visible minority populations (exception: those that identify with multiple visible minorities), as was also the case among populations that did not identify as Indigenous or a visible minority.
Unemployment rates in Canada were higher for all age cohorts of visible minority populations, when compared with those that do not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population. The largest gap was for youth aged workers (aged 15-24).
Participation rates of visible minority populations were higher for older workers, compared to the same age cohort that does not identify as Indigenous or visible minority populations. Among youth and core aged workers, participation rates among visible minority populations were lower than among similarly aged populations that do not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population.
With lower participation and higher unemployment rates, employment rates were lower for visible minority youth and core aged populations than for those of similar age who do not identify as Indigenous or a visible minority population. With stronger participation rates (despite higher unemployment rates), the employment rate of older visible minority populations was higher than older Canadians who do not identify as Indigenous or in a visible minority population.
Trends
In December 2025, the unemployment rate for the visible minority population was lower compared to the population that was neither Indigenous nor in a visible minority population in Atlantic Canada.
Participation and employment rates for visible minority populations in Atlantic Canada are consistently higher than those that identified neither as Indigenous nor in a visible minority population.
Annual (2025)
Unemployment rates for visible minority populations increased to 8.8% in Canada from 8.6% in 2024. Increases in unemployment rate in Ontario and British Columbia offset the declines in other regions. The largest decline in the visible minority unemployment rate in was in Atlantic Canada (-0.8 percentage points) and the largest increase was in British Columbia (+0.9 percentage points).
Unemployment rates for populations that identified as neither Indigenous nor a visible minority increased in Canada as well as all regions. Ontario reported the largest percentage point increase in unemployment rates for persons that identified as neither Indigenous nor a visible minority.
Participation rates for visible minority populations were up across Canada in 2025, reflecting increases in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia partially offset by declines in Atlantic Canada and the Prairies.
Participation rates for population that identified as neither Indigenous nor a visible minority declined across Canada, reflecting declines in all regions except Québec.
With rising participation rate (despite higher unemployment rate), Canada's employment rate for visible minority populations edged up to 65.7% in 2025. There were gains among all regions, except in the Prairies and British Columbia.
National employment rates for those that identified as neither Indigenous nor in a visible minority population declined to 58.4% in 2025. Employment rates for those that identified as neither Indigenous nor in a visible minority population were down in in all regions in 2025.
Unemployment rates for most visible minority populations in Atlantic Canada were generally lower than the averages for the same groups across the country (though the opposite was true among those that identified as neither Indigenous nor in a visible minority population). There were exceptions with higher unemployment rates in Atlantic Canada among Chinese, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, and other visible minorities.
Note that for some suppressed data, the unemployment rate is calculated as 1-(employment rate)/(participation rate).
Participation rates for visible minority groups in Atlantic Canada in 2025 were higher than the national average for most visible minorities. Participation rates among Atlantic Canada's population that identified as Arab, Korean, other visible minorities as well as those not in a visible minority group had lower participation rates in 2025.
Atlantic Canada employment rates for those that identified as a visible minority were mostly higher than the national averages for similar populations. Employment was lower than the national average for Arab, Korean, other visible minorities, and those that identified as neither Indigenous nor in a visible minority population.
In national data on employment by industry, visible minority employment was disproportionately concentrated in accommodation/food service, professional/technical services, finance/insurance/real estate, and transportation/warehousing. Visible minority employment was notably underrepresented in agriculture/natural resources/utilities, construction, education and public administration.
By occupation, visible minority populations were disproportionately concentrated in sales/services and natural/applied sciences. Visible minority populations were disproportionately under-represented in management, education/law/community/government services, and trades/transport/equipment operators occupations.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0373-01 Labour force characteristics by visible minority group, three-month moving averages, monthly, unadjusted for seasonality; Table 14-10-0440-01 Labour force characteristics by visible minority group, annual; Table 14-10-0438-01 Employment characteristics by visible minority group, annual
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