The Native unemployment rate in Canada is more than twice the national average, and the gap between Natives and non-Natives is worsening, according to a new report.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities said Natives throughout the country and in 20 major cities suffer from the highest unemployment rates. Joblessness was worst in the cities with the highest Native population, notably Saskatoon and Regina, both in Saskatchewan.

Based on 1991 and 2001 Census data, FCM found that the disparity in jobless rates between Natives and non-Natives worsened. Again, the gap was most significant in Saskatoon and Regina.

The report also found that an increasingly young and urban Native population. From 1996 to 2001, the number of young Natives in cities like Saskatoon and Regina, and in Winnipeg, Manitoba, skyrocketed. By 2001, one in six children in these three cities were Native.

Get the Story:
Aboriginal jobless rate concerns FCM (CBC 2/3)

Get the Report:
Dynamic Societies and Social Change (February 2, 2005

Relevant Links:
Federation of Canadian Municipalities - http://www.fcm.ca