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This report investigates how technological change, specifically automation, will affect Indigenous workers by industry and region across Canada. This research builds on previous work that examined the implications of automation in Canada generally, and on Indigenous workers in specific industries abroad, by applying their methods to understand the impact of automation on Indigenous workers in Canada.
This report answers the key questions:
We estimate the number of Indigenous workers in industries susceptible to automation using employment, income, and education data. In addition to modelling the number of Indigenous workers at high risk from automation by industry and region, we also include a review of Statistics Canada skills data to add depth to the analysis.
By industry, Indigenous employment is more concentrated in the top five industries at high risk from automation (accommodation and food services, retail trade, construction, transportation and warehousing, and management, administration, and other services) relative to non-Indigenous employment in Canada. We find that in the five largest provinces, notably British Columbia and Alberta, Indigenous workers facing high risks of automation are concentrated in these top five industries. The report’s conclusion provides a discussion of the findings and a series of recommendations.
The Digital Differences report is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program.
