Black Canadians see progress on equity in workplace, even as racism persists: report

People walk in Toronto's financial district in Toronto, on Oct. 29, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO — A new report suggests a vast majority of Black Canadians feel their employer has made progress in creating a more equitable workplace, but more than three-quarters said they still encounter varying degrees of racism at work.

The Canadian arm of advisory firm KPMG said in a report released Tuesday that 86 per cent of those surveyed reported their employer has created a more equitable and inclusive workplace for Black employees in the past five years.

However, 77 per cent of those surveyed said they experienced microaggressions, discrimination or acts of racism at work over the past year.

“As employers, we need to maintain trust by continuing to take action to remove barriers and ensure inclusion and equity efforts are both meaningful, real and sustainable,” said Rob Davis, chief inclusion, diversity and equity officer at KPMG in Canada.

“As we navigate the ongoing conversations around breaking down barriers, it’s important to recognize the lived experiences of Black Canadians. It’s simply good business to create an environment that enables everyone in our workforce to fully participate, be productive, and bring their best to work.”

Seventy-eight per cent of those questioned said online hate from social media platforms is spilling over into the workforce. Nine in 10 said it’s important for business leaders to speak out against racism.

The report was based on an online survey between Dec. 17, 2024, and Jan. 6, 2025, of 1,000 Canadians who self-identified as Black.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2025.

The Canadian Press