Provincial and Regional Challenges
English speakers remain on the economic sidelines at disproportionate rates, facing persistent gaps across nearly every region.
Unemployment Gap
English speakers face an unemployment rate of 10.9%, which is 4 percentage points higher than the rate among French speakers in the province.
Earnings Deficit
English speakers earn a median employment income of $32,000—$5,200 less than that of French speakers.
Funding Inequity
Only 2.8% of provincial employment service funding reaches organizations serving English speakers, even though they represent nearly a quarter of the province’s unemployed population.
Share of unemployed individuals
Share of funding for employment assistance services
French proficiency
While nearly 65% of English-speaking Quebecers are bilingual, 67% still identify French language proficiency as their primary barrier to workplace integration and career development.
Public language courses are often ill-adapted to the real-world needs of English speakers, and there is a lack of advanced sector-specific language training programs.
Additionally, accessing these programs includes its own hurdles, such as complex registration portals, rigid eligibility rules, and long wait times.
Unique Regional Realities
In the regions outside of Montréal and Laval, where 37% of the community resides, English speakers face even more glaring disparities.
Beyond linguistic barriers, English speakers in Québec’s regions also face "service deserts," as access to workforce French programs is often concentrated in the urban centres, requiring residents to travel further to access training and support.
In Côte-Nord, the unemployment rate among English speakers is nearly three times higher than among French speakers (17.9% compared with 6.8%). In Nord-du-Québec, the income gap reaches a staggering $19,800.
Brain Drain
Brain drain among English-speaking Quebecers affects rural regions, urban centres, and critical sectors such as health and education. Driven by persistent employment barriers and income gaps, the outmigration of educated youth and skilled workers represents a “double loss.” Québec loses out on both the talent it has cultivated and the economic returns on its investments in education, while labour shortages continue to intensify.
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