Friday, August 07, 2009
Women's Economic Security in Sudbury and South-West Ontario
Two recent reports uncover economic issues for women in Ontario communities.
High levels of unemployment among newcomer women
"Exploring Newcomer Settlement and Integration Supports in Brantford, and Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Counties" is a community-based participatory research report by Bharati Sethi in collaboration with the ISTEP (Immigrant Settlement Transition Employment and Partnership) Taskforce (July 2009).
The research involved newcomers and service providers reporting on a variety of issues related to integration. The findings will be important for agencies in smaller communities as they develop programs that will serve newcomers, as well as for policy makers.
As is common throughout Canada, Sethi found very high levels of unemployment among immigrant women, especially the newly arrived.
All research participants recommended women-specific services to facilitate women's integration into the community, particularly in relation to education, training and employment. While limited transportation and affordable childcare were acknowledged problems, respondents went further to point to other barriers that are specific immigrant women. The research demonstrates how the challenges of various factors such as gender, race, culture and immigration status compound one another to further marginalize a woman.
Another key finding was discrepancies in perceptions between the two groups of participants. The only issue that both newcomers and service providers completely agreed upon was the importance of specialized programs for women.
Increasing gender wage gap
Based on the 2006 Census, "A Social Profile of Greater Sudbury" by the Social Planning Council of Sudbury (March 2009) reports a significant income difference between men and women.
On average, women in the Sudbury area earned 58 cents for every dollar men earned in all occupations, a differential that has grown from the 62 cents women were earning in 2000. The national gender wage gap is 63 cents to the dollar.
From the report:
The report also observes that 10% of women with children under 6 in Sudbury were unemployed, compared to 3% of men. Not surprisingly the report notes that, "among single parent families, male lone-parents reported median incomes approximately 36% higher than their female counterparts ($51,041 vs. $32,585, respectively)."
> "A Social Profile of Greater Sudbury"
> "Exploring Newcomer Settlement and Integration Supports in Brantford, and Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Counties"
High levels of unemployment among newcomer women
"Exploring Newcomer Settlement and Integration Supports in Brantford, and Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Counties" is a community-based participatory research report by Bharati Sethi in collaboration with the ISTEP (Immigrant Settlement Transition Employment and Partnership) Taskforce (July 2009).
The research involved newcomers and service providers reporting on a variety of issues related to integration. The findings will be important for agencies in smaller communities as they develop programs that will serve newcomers, as well as for policy makers.
As is common throughout Canada, Sethi found very high levels of unemployment among immigrant women, especially the newly arrived.
All research participants recommended women-specific services to facilitate women's integration into the community, particularly in relation to education, training and employment. While limited transportation and affordable childcare were acknowledged problems, respondents went further to point to other barriers that are specific immigrant women. The research demonstrates how the challenges of various factors such as gender, race, culture and immigration status compound one another to further marginalize a woman.
Another key finding was discrepancies in perceptions between the two groups of participants. The only issue that both newcomers and service providers completely agreed upon was the importance of specialized programs for women.
Increasing gender wage gap
Based on the 2006 Census, "A Social Profile of Greater Sudbury" by the Social Planning Council of Sudbury (March 2009) reports a significant income difference between men and women.
On average, women in the Sudbury area earned 58 cents for every dollar men earned in all occupations, a differential that has grown from the 62 cents women were earning in 2000. The national gender wage gap is 63 cents to the dollar.
From the report:
"The largest income-gender gap occurred in the ‘processing, manufacturing and utilities’ occupational category where women earned on average $10,964/year compared to male earnings of $47,418/year; and the ‘health occupations’ category (32%) where women earned on average $43,761/year compared to the $136,058/year earned by their male counterparts."The income gap was the smallest in the lowest paid occupational category -- ‘art, culture, recreation and sport’ -- with women at $20,368 annually and men at $24,889.
The report also observes that 10% of women with children under 6 in Sudbury were unemployed, compared to 3% of men. Not surprisingly the report notes that, "among single parent families, male lone-parents reported median incomes approximately 36% higher than their female counterparts ($51,041 vs. $32,585, respectively)."
> "A Social Profile of Greater Sudbury"
> "Exploring Newcomer Settlement and Integration Supports in Brantford, and Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Counties"
Labels: Issues_and_Trends, Resources_and_Research
