“For Inuit, the term ‘livelihood’ encompasses work in the wage economy and in the labour that connects them with the land”

By Emma Tranter

The land-based economy must be included in any examination of the Inuit labour market, says a new report from Statistics Canada based on the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

But Inuit face barriers to participation in land-based activities, such as climate change, loss of traditional knowledge and changes in government policy, to name a few.

“For Inuit, the term ‘livelihood’ encompasses work in the wage economy and in the labour that connects them with the land, their culture and their community,” the report states.

The report also says there is a need for policies and programs aimed at improving Inuit employment and related economic outcomes.

Thirty one per cent of Nunavut Inuit and 27 per cent of Nunavik Inuit were not employed in the labour force in 2017.

About eight out of 10 unemployed Inuit cited a “shortage of jobs” as a barrier to employment, while nearly half of working Inuit worked part-time because full-time employment was not available, the report states.

Land-based economy in Inuit Nunangat

Just over a quarter of Inuit who participated in land-based activities do so to supplement their income, the report states. Inuit in Nunavik were most likely to do this, while Inuit in Nunavut were the second most likely, the survey found.

“The term ‘livelihoods’ has been used in past research to refer to the many ways in which Inuit families generate income and support themselves…. In this case, it is necessary to move beyond exclusive concepts such as employment in order to fully understand the Inuit economy,” the report states.

Participation in land-based activities varied across Inuit Nunangat. For example, in Nunavik, 71 percent of Inuit aged 25-54 said they gathered wild plants, compared to 38 per cent in Nunavut.

Making footwear or clothing was most common in Nunavut and Nunavik than any other region in Inuit Nunangat.

But household composition, education and employment are key factors in Inuit participation in land-based activities, according to the report.

“Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat with at least a high school education were more likely to participate in at least one land-based activity,” the report says.

And Inuit working in the labour force were also more likely to participate in at least one land-based activity, compared to those who were not employed. But the difference is small, just 79 per cent versus 88 per cent.

“Still, the fact that almost eight-in-10 Inuit not in the labour force participated in at least one land-based activity in the past 12 months reinforces the need to look beyond conventional labour force status indicators,” the report states.

Other variables were found to be related to participation in land-based activities, including personal income and household composition. For example, households with a lone-female parent are less likely to participate in the land-based economy, the survey found.

Wage-based economy in Inuit Nunangat

More than half of Nunavut beneficiaries reported working for either municipal, territorial or federal governments, the report says.

Public administration was the top industry in all of Inuit Nunangat, with the exception of Nunavik, where health care and social assistance took the top spot.

Working-age Inuit across Inuit Nunangat, who the report identifies as people between the ages of 25 and 54, were most likely to be employed in sales and service occupations. Jobs in education, law, and social, community and government services followed closely behind.

Those working in sales and the service sector also had the lowest median incomes across Inuit Nunangat, making $26,138 a year.

Health care and social assistance was the most common employment sector among Inuit women—more than six times higher than among Inuit men.

But Inuit women were also six times more likely than Inuit men to hold jobs in education, law, and social, community and government services. Jobs in trades, transport, and equipment were most common among Inuit men.