A new report finds B次元官网网址渁 pattern of under-representationB次元官网网址� of Indigenous and racialized British Columbians, who B次元官网网址渇ace systemic barriers in their pursuitB次元官网网址� of public service careers.
The report titled Racial Diversity in the B.C. Public Service is among three first-of-their-kind reports released Thursday (May 30) describing barriers Indigenous Peoples and racialized people experience in the public service, schools and health care.
The report looking at the provincial public service reviewed the representation rates of 16 self-identifying Indigenous and racialized groups among 30,600-plus public service employees as of January 2022.
While its findings represent preliminary results, they point toward barriers preventing employees from racialized groups B次元官网网址渇rom entering and moving into positions with greater accountabilities and responsibilities, including executive positions.B次元官网网址�
The report compared representation rates of those groups within B.C.B次元官网网址檚 general labour force and the population to the provincial public sector.
Based on the available methodology, the report started with an expectation that representation of the 16 groups B次元官网网址渟hould at least match, if not be higher than, the B.C. labour force and population rates.B次元官网网址�
But that was not the case. Only four groups had rates similar to or greater than the labour force and population at large. Eleven of 16 groups were over-represented in jobs that paid less and under-represented in supervisory positions.
B次元官网网址淧articularly notable was the lack of executive-level representation for 10 Indigenous identity and racial groupsB次元官网网址攏ot just under-representation, but no representation,B次元官网网址� it reads.
Individuals who identify as First Nations represent 3.7 per cent of the population and three per cent of the workforce, but two per cent of the public service workforce. Individuals who identify as Chinese represent 11.2 per cent of the population, 10.2 per cent of the labour force and 4.8 per cent of the public sector workforce.
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The report suggests one potential explanation for the under-representation is that many racialized employees may not disclose this information and end up being classified as belonging to an B次元官网网址渦nknownB次元官网网址� group.
B次元官网网址淭his can occur because of a lack of cultural safety on the part of the employer,B次元官网网址� it reads. B次元官网网址淎s a result, many of the differences seen between actual and expected representation rates may be addressed with a more complete data set.B次元官网网址�
The report stresses it did not include a number of other relevant pieces of employee information.
B次元官网网址淔or example, looking at factors related to age, years of serviceB次元官网网址ducation and career area can help identify barriers,B次元官网网址� it reads.
The report is also unclear how racial background intersects with factors such as gender, sexual orientation or disability. The report notes that executive positions are B次元官网网址渞elatively rareB次元官网网址� in the public service, comprising only 0.6 per cent B次元官网网址� or 1 out of every 167 B次元官网网址� positions.
B次元官网网址淪o smaller Indigenous identity and racialized groups may require a different approach to better understand representation in the executive classification,B次元官网网址� it reads.
According to the report, the public service B次元官网网址渋s committed to removing systemic racism from its hiring and career development practices.B次元官网网址�
The reports are released under B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Anti-Racism Data Act. Effective since 2022 it requires the provincial government to publish information about systemic racism and racial equity by June 1 each year.
The three reports are the first under the act and their researchers used data from the B.C. Demographic Survey and other sources.
The reports also appear after the provincial government passed legislation including targets for the recruitment, retention and advancement of Indigenous and other racialized people throughout government.
