The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission is pleased to provide businesses, employers, and all interested stakeholders with the latest employment targets for four designated equity groups. These targets reflect the ideal workforce representation of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, people with disabilities, and women in underrepresented occupations. In turn, these metrics are a benchmark for employers to evaluate their efforts to recruit and retain employees in the four equity groups. Expressed as percentages of the Saskatchewan population, the targets are informed by Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census and prepared with the assistance of the Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics. 

Every workplace should strive to create a representative for each of the target groups across the range of jobs and roles within its workforce.  It is not sufficient to meet equity targets through the employment of equity group members in entry level positions only. Over time, the recruitment, retention, and promotion of employees within an organization should reflect the true picture of diversity in our society.

The four equity groups are:

1. Persons reporting an Aboriginal (or Indigenous) identity;
2. Members of a visible minority group;
3. Individuals reporting a disability; and
4. Women in underrepresented occupations.

The recommendations are derived from:

• 2016 Census of Population (conducted by Statistics Canada);
• The 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability (conducted by Statistics Canada); and
• The 2018 Labour Force Survey (conducted by Statistics Canada).

For the purposes of the recommended targets:

• “Working age” includes those 15 to age 74, and
• The four equity groups are defined using Statistic Canada’s definitions.

Equity targets in Saskatchewan also vary somewhat depending on location. For example, there are more people who are visible minorities in Regina and Saskatoon than other parts of the province, so the targets for visible minorities are higher in these two cities. Similarly, the targets for the Aboriginal population is higher in the Prince Albert Census Agglomeration (CA) where there is a proportionally larger Aboriginal population.

Aboriginal Identity

According to Statistics Canada, Aboriginal identity can be defined as those who are “First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) and/or those who are Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada), and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band.” Aboriginal peoples of Canada are defined in the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35 (2) as including the “Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.”

The growth rates for the Aboriginal identity population for the periods 2011 to 2016, and 2006 to 2016, have been adjusted for incompletely enumerated Indian reserves and Indian settlements, and other changes in reserves to allow for comparison of the different census year periods.

Table 1 shows that the percentage of people identifying as Aboriginal in the province of Saskatchewan in 2016 is 13.7%, That number increases to 34.4% when only the Prince Albert CA is considered. Both the overall provincial and Aboriginal populations have experienced increases since 2016.

An appropriate 2019 equity workplace target for those employees identifying as Aboriginal is 14.0% for the province as a whole, and 35.0% for Prince Albert CA.

Table 1 – Aboriginal Identity Population in Saskatchewan, 15 to 74 Years of Age

		2001*	2006	2011	2016**
Saskatchewan	Population	618,770	697,175	744,965	857,285
	Aboriginal Population	77,315	89,585	101,790	117,330
	% Aboriginal	12.5%	12.8%	13.7%	13.7%
Prince Albert CA	Population	25,410	28,495	29,545	33,245
	Aboriginal Population	6,735	8,590	10,225	11,440
	% Aboriginal	26.5%	30.1%	34.6%	34.4%

*15 to 74 age group not published – these figures are for the population 15 to 64 years of age

Sources: 2001 = 97F0011XCB01004, 2006 = 97-558-XCB2006007, 2011 = 99-011-X2011028

** Source: 98-402-X2016009-T1-CMACA-Eng and 98-402-X2016009-T1-CANPR-Eng

Members of a Visible Minority

As with Aboriginal identity, members of a visible minority group must self-identity as belonging to a particular group at the time of census taking. For the purposes of equity targets, the Commission defines members of a visible minority as, “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are people of colour.”

The Employment Equity Act, S.C. 1995, c.44 defines visible minorities as, “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.” Statistics Canada reports that the visible minority population consists mainly of people who are: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean, and Japanese.

According to the 2016 Census, members of a visible minority group aged 15 to 74 made up 10.6% of Saskatchewan’s population. In the Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) of Regina and Saskatoon, members of a visible minority group constitute 16.8% of the population. The proportion is somewhat higher in Regina (17.3%) than in Saskatoon (16.3%).

The Commission’s previous equity targets were set at 6.6% for the province and 11.0% for the cities of Regina and Saskatoon. With population growth, the new recommendations are 10.6% for the province and 16.8% for the cities of Regina and Saskatoon.

Table 2 – Members of a Visible Minority Group in Saskatchewan, 15 to 74 Years of Age

		2001	2006	2011*	2016
Saskatchewan	Population	618,770	697,175	671,205	790,405
	Members of a Visible Minority Group	19,470	25,235	44,570	84,115
	% Visible Minority Group	3.1%	3.6%	6.6%	10.6%
Regina and Saskatoon CMAs	Population	280,615	320,465	325,835	395,005
	Members of a Visible Minority Group	15,870	20,620	35,870	66,205
	% Visible Minority Group	5.7%	6.4%	11.0%	16.8%

15 to 74 age group not published – these figures are for the population 15 to 64 years of age
Sources: 2001 = 95F0363XCB01004, 2006 = 97-562-XCB2006017, 2011 = 99-010-X2011029

Persons Reporting a Disability

The previous equity target for people with disabilities of working age was 12.4%. This was based on the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) data from 2011.

Table 3 shows that the proportion of the Saskatchewan population aged 15 to 74 years reporting a disability increased to 22.2% in 2017. This represents a 78.7% change since 2011.

The increase can, however, be attributed to a content review of the CSD conducted in 2012, with experts and stakeholders identifying potential data gaps. As a result, new questions were added to the 2017 CSD that made the data collected more comprehensive and representative of the reality of disability in Canada. Based on this more accurate data, the Commission’s 2019 recommendation for the equity target for employment of those with disabilities is 22.2% for the province.

Table 3 – Saskatchewan Persons Reporting a Disability, 15 to 74 Years of Age

	2011	2017	Change (%)
Population	718,000	748,900	4.3%
Reporting a disability	89,220	166,270	86.4%
Percent Reporting a disability	12.4%	22.2%	78.7%

Women in Underrepresented Occupations

The proportion of women working in underrepresented occupations depends on two factors – the labour market availability of women overall, and the particular occupational groups which are designated as underrepresented.

For example, women represent 23.3% of those working within natural and applied sciences and related occupations. By contrast, women represent 9.4% of those working in transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations.

Based on the percentage of women available to work between 15 and 74 years of age, the equity target for any organization is that 47.0% of its workplace will be women, and that employment in those percentages is to be found at all levels of the organization (e.g., management, labour, etc.).

Table 4 – Employment by Sex, Saskatchewan

	2012	2013*	2018
Total employment	537,100	555,200	557,400
Employed women	245,900	254,500	258,600
Percent women	45.8%	45.8%	46.4%

Summary

The Commission recommends organizations use the figures in Table 5 when planning for a representative workforce.

Table 5 – Recommended Targets, 2019

Equity Group	Target
Aboriginal People
Provincial	14.0%
Prince Albert CA	35.0%
Members of a Visible Minority Group
Provincial	10.6%
Regina/Saskatoon	16.8%
Persons with Disabilities	22.2%
Women in Underrepresented Occupations	47.0%

 

We are pleased to share the 2019 Equity Targets with your office. As you will see, the recommendations are derived from the 2016 Census of Population, the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, and the 2018 Labour Force Survey. The Commission is indebted to the Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics for assistance given in the interpretation and compiling of this report.

The Commission urges you to review the targets, take stock of your employee team, and tell us where you are doing well, why you are succeeding, and where you need help. Any tips you would like to share that you have learned in the creation of an inclusive and diverse workforce are welcome. Likewise, any questions you have that will help you improve and strengthen your work team are encouraged.

The Commission has a dedicated Business Help Line that is confidential and available free of charge. Our trained staff answer more than 500 calls per year from employers who are looking for guidance.

Last, if you have ideas how your organization might partner with the Commission to improve your workplace, please let us know.