Actions and Commitments

Call to Action # 55: National Council for Reconciliation (53-56)

First Nations Labour and Employment Development People’s Report 2018-2020

October 21, 2022

NationTalk: Chiefs of Ontario – This report presents the results of the First Nations Labour and Employment Development (FNLED) survey. The survey was designed by the First Nations Information and Governance Centre (FNIGC). It was the first major national survey initiative focused on employment, labour, jobs, and skills in First Nations communities across Canada. The survey built on the work begun by the First Nations Regional Early Childhood Education and Employment Survey. The FNLED survey focused on filling the gap in data about the labour market in First Nations communities.

This report focuses on the work experience of First Nations people in Ontario. It describes how many people were working, what kinds of work they were doing and what was helping or getting in the way of finding good work. This report recognizes the importance of information about other aspects of the lives of First Nations people that could matter to their work experience. This information, referred to as context, is needed to understand the data. It can also inform actions in response to the data. This report provides context about First Nations language and culture, education and physical health in addition to data about the work experience of First Nations people in Ontario.

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This report describes the work experience of First Nations people in Ontario as well as information about First Nations culture, language, education, and health. However, the report does not present a complete picture. It was done before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In addition, the results largely describe Anishnabek, Ojibway and Oji-Cree communities. Nevertheless, the results of the survey could be useful. They could guide community action, inform advocacy, and drive efforts to get better data for community action and/or research. Taken together, the information from this survey can be used to understand and guide action to improve labour and employment development among First Nations people in Ontario.