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Employment Equity Act Annual Report - 2008

Chapter 1: Women

This chapter provides data on the employment situation of women in the different workforces covered under the Employment Equity Act.4 Throughout the chapter, key findings from 2007 are compared to those from the previous year and, where available, 2001 and 1987.

Highlights

  • In 2007, women’s representation declined at the aggregate level and continued to be below availability in both the federally regulated private sector and the federal public sector (Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1).5
  • Women continued to be significantly overrepresented in the banking sector, but there has been a downward trend in this representation over time (Table 1.2).
  • In the federally regulated private sector, between 2001 and 2007, women have been employed consistently above workforce availability in the middle and other management and supervisory occupations. Although their representation in senior management has increased over this time period, it continues to be below availability in this occupational group (Table 1.3).
  • The share of women hired, promoted, and terminated (those who left the workforce) decreased in the federally regulated private sector from 1987 to 2007 (Tables 1.4, 1.5, and 1.6).
Table 1.1
Representation and Availability of All Women Employees Reported Under the Employment Equity Act
Employer Representation* Availability**
2001 2006 2007 2001
# % # % # % %
Total Private Sector 284,720 44.9 300,747 43.1 313,318 42.7 47.3
Federal Public Service 82,663 52.5 96,816 53.9 101,589 54.4 52.2
Separate Employers† 38,497 55.1 37,079 55.7 40,310 56.7 47.3
Other Public Sector Employers‡ n/a n/a 22,873 18.3 24,050 18.4 47.3
Total Public Sector 121,160 53.3 156,768 42.2 165,949 42.7 49.7
Grand Total for Both Sectors 405,880 47.1 457,515 42.8 479,267 42.7 48.1

* Data on the federally regulated private sector are collected on a calendar-year basis by the Labour Program, while those on the federal public sector are collected on a fiscal-year basis by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). Representation data for the federal public service are based on fiscal years 2001-02, 2006-07, and 2007-08, while those for the separate and other public sector employers are based on fiscal years 2000-01, 2005-06, and 2006-07.

** Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Canada. The workforce availability for the federal public service is an estimate produced by TBS based on occupations in the Canadian workforce that correspond to occupations in this workforce of Canadian citizens only (excludes landed immigrants). The other public sector employers' availability is based on the Canadian citizens data. The total availability statistics have been weighted.

† Separate employers are federal public sector organizations with 100 or more employees that are listed in Schedule I, Part II of the Public Service Staff Relations Act (e.g., the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Parks Canada).

‡ The other public sector employers include the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Table 1.2
Representation of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector*
Sector 1987 2001 2006 2007
# % # % # % # %
Banking 129,076 76.1 139,080 71.0 135,634 68.4 141,037 67.7
Communications 71,038 39.6 88,861 41.3 91,518 40.6 93,348 40.5
Transportation 34,423 16.9 44,318 24.7 48,957 25.4 52,420 25.4
Other 9,207 21.3 12,461 28.0 24,638 30.2 26,513 30.0
All 243,744 40.9 284,720 44.9 300,747 43.1 313,318 42.7

* Discrepancies may occur with data previously reported due to database additions and/or adjustments made to employer reports after publication deadlines.

Figure 1.1
Representation and Availability of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector

Representation and Availability of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector

Table
Representation of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector*
Year All
Employees		 Women
Representation Availability*
# % %
1987 595,417 243,744 40.9 44.0
1988 613,688 257,417 41.9 44.0
1989 631,015 268,340 42.5 44.0
1990 631,423 276,161 43.7 44.0
1991 615,135 271,927 44.2 45.9
1992 602,265 269,089 44.7 45.9
1993 582,363 264,804 45.5 45.9
1994 599,311 265,950 44.4 45.9
1995 588,047 261,437 44.5 45.9
1996 571,883 256,250 44.8 46.4
1997 571,138 254,325 44.5 46.4
1998 589,218 260,204 44.2 46.4
1999 588,759 262,629 44.6 46.4
2000 600,220 262,602 43.8 46.4
2001 634,759 284,720 44.9 47.3
2002 629,916 279,817 44.4 47.3
2003 621,457 273,496 44.0 47.3
2004 651,048 282,747 43.4 47.3
2005 672,652 291,198 43.3 47.3
2006 698,210 300,747 43.1 47.3
2007 733,517 313,318 42.7 47.3

* The data on Canadian labour market availability of women are obtained from censuses that are conducted once every five years by Statistics Canada.

Table 1.3
Representation and Availability of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector
Employment Equity
Occupational Groups
(EEOGs)		 Representation Availability*
2001 2006 2007 2001
% % % %
Senior Managers 19.6 21.3 21.9 25.1
Middle and Other Managers 42.4 43.2 42.2 37.5
Professionals 44.5 45.8 46.1 52.8
Semi-Professionals and Technicians 16.9 19.3 19.4 52.3
Supervisors 63.3 60.5 59.7 56.7
Supervisors: Crafts and Trades 4.4 6.1 6.6 19.6
Administrative and Senior Clerical Personnel 81.0 76.9 75.5 85.0
Skilled Sales and Service Personnel 45.8 25.5 26.4 44.3
Skilled Crafts and Trades Workers 3.0 3.4 3.6 5.9
Clerical Personnel 66.6 66.3 66.0 72.7
Intermediate Sales and Service Personnel 65.9 66.8 64.3 68.5
Semi-Skilled Manual Workers 11.4 11.9 12.6 22.4
Other Sales and Service Personnel 24.2 27.5 26.5 55.9
Other Manual Workers 8.9 11.7 10.3 25.1
Total 44.9 43.1 42.7 47.3

Figure 1.2
Representation (2007) and Availability (2001) of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector by Region

Representation (2007) and Availability (2001) of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector by Region

Table
Representation (2007) and Availability (2001) of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector by Region
Province/
Territory		 Women
Representation Availability*
2007
%		 2001
%
Newfoundland and Labrador 48.3 46.7
Prince Edward Island 36.20 48.5
Nova Scotia 49 47.5
New Brunswick 52.8 47.3
Quebec 41.9 46.6
Ontario 44.5 47.7
Manitoba 35.1 47.5
Saskatchewan 39.1 47.3
Alberta 43.2 46.7
British Columbia 42.0 47.6
Yukon 50.1 49.3
Northwest Territories 20.3 47.2
Nunavut 23 46.2

* Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Canada

Table 1.4
Share of Women Hired into the Federally Regulated Private Sector*
Sector 1987 2001 2006 2007
# % # % # % # %
Banking 16,704 76.3 17,769 61.4 17,915 58.6 20,491 59.7
Communications 7,515 43.1 12,949 39.2 13,632 36.9 15,189 37.5
Transportation 7,316 21.8 12,753 30.7 10,992 25.9 12,456 25.8
Other 1,485 33.0 1,546 32.4 6,439 29.4 6,531 30.5
All  33,020 42.7 45,017 41.6 48,978 37.1 54,667 37.8

* The “share” is the percentage of total hires received by women.

Table 1.5
Share of Women who left the Federally Regulated Private Sector*
Sector 1987 2001 2006 2007
# % # % # % # %
Banking 16,819 77.5 16,364 64.6 15,864 61.6 17,118 61.7
Communications 6,176 38.6 10,919 39.9 13,387 37.8 14,766 38.0
Transportation 6,028 18.5 7,475 24.7 9,884 24.8 10,456 24.1
Other 1,402 27.6 1,938 23.3 3,704 30.8 4,976 31.0
All 30,425 40.3 36,696 40.2 42,839 37.9 47,316 37.5

* The “share” is the percentage of total terminations received by women.

Table 1.6
Share of Women who were Promoted in the Federally Regulated Private Sector*
Sector 1987 2001 2006 2007
# % # % # % # %
Banking 27,599 69.9 18,908 68.4 19,920 66.0 19,595 64.1
Communications 4,900 44.1 5,170 46.1 4,704 41.6 4,791 38.9
Transportation 2,655 18.0 1,852 22.7 1,965 27.6 2,135 31.4
Other 856 26.4 1,169 29.7 1,570 33.6 1,706 35.8
All 36,010 52.5 27,099 53.2 28,159 52.9 28,227 51.8

* The “share” is the percentage of total promotions received by women.

Behind the numbers

  • The proportion of women who have reached senior management positions in recent years suggests that federally regulated private sector employers have been successful in fostering an environment that has allowed women to obtain higher positions in organizations (Figure 1.3).
  • The proportion of women in clerical as well as administrative and sales positions have decreased in recent years as women are tending toward less traditional professions.

Figure 1.3
Representation and Availability of Women in Senior Management Positions in the Federally Regulated Private Sector

Representation and Availability of Women in Senior Management Positions in the Federally Regulated Private Sector

Table
Representation (2007) and Availability (2001) of Women in the Federally Regulated Private Sector by Region
Year Women
Representation
%		 Availability*
%
1987 4.7 17.4
1988 5.7 17.4
1989 6.8 17.4
1990 7.7 17.4
1991 8.4 17.6
1992 9.3 17.6
1993 10.7 17.6
1994 12.3 17.6
1995 13.6 17.6
1996 14.8 20.8
1997 14.7 20.8
1998 16.0 20.8
1999 17.3 20.8
2000 19.1 20.8
2001 19.6 25.1
2002 19.9 25.1
2003 20.3 25.1
2004 20.9 25.1
2005 20.9 25.1
2006 21.3 25.1
2007 21.9 25.1

* The data on Canadian labour market availability of women are obtained from censuses that are conducted once every five years by Statistics Canada.

[4] Return to footnote 4 Please refer to Appendix B for data on women in the federally regulated private sector and Crown corporation workforce, and Appendix C for data on women in the public sector subject to the Act.

[5] Return to footnote 5 To measure the progress of women covered by the Act, representation is compared to availability in the workforce population. Availability data are obtained from censuses conducted by Statistics Canada every five years. There is therefore a time lag in measuring representation gaps, as for example, 2007 representation is being compared to 2001 Census of Canada availability data.

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Date Modified:
2012-03-20