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Income Security, Race and Health team

Report Highlights

www.researchforchange.ca

January 27, 2011

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Research Questions What kinds of strategies do racialized families develop

to overcome labour market challenges and achieve income security?

How do the challenges that racialized families face to achieve employment/income security and the strategies that they use to overcome these challenges affect their health and well-being?

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2008

Phase One: Photovoice Exposed Project

•14 Black Creek residents investigate the social impacts of poverty and racism using arts-based research method

•Participants met weekly for 9 weeks

•Collected over 300 photos and 50 narratives

2009 – 2010

Phase Two: Focus Groups - A total of 11 focus groups conducted:

Community Focus Groups (n=105) •Hindi-Urdu Speaking •Spanish Speaking•Arabic Speaking •Vietnamese •Black Community•Canadian-born, racialized •All-male, racialized •Mixed Population

Service Provider FGs (n=24) •Front-line Staff•Management Staff

2010 – 2011

Phase Three: Family Interviews & Workshops

•2 semi-structured interviews with 13 racialized families living in Black Creek over a period of 3 months

•Three Workshops geared at enhancing income security and health over a period of 3 months

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Another Important Question

Is it worth it for me to study hard and go to university if I am going to end up unemployed or not be able to get good jobs anyway?

Youth photo-researcher, Black Creek, 2008

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Key Finding 1: Stuck in Precarious Employment All participants told us widely available employment services (like

job search, resume clinics, job readiness training) are ineffective and are pushing people into low-wage precarious jobs unrelated to their fields.

Study results strongly show that participants who use ‘temp agencies’ are more likely to be pushed into long-term trajectory of precarious types of low-wage, low-skill jobs.

Recession and rise of precarious forms of employment is affecting racialized people more acutely; in the words of one participant racialized people are “last to be hired and first to be fired.”

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Selected Quotes When I work for a company, there is a probation period of 6 months

before they accept you full time. But if they laid you off after three months, you have to start all over again and that is not fair. They are so smart in doing this way so we would be part time workers all the time. So if they kept on hiring us for the whole year, but because there are breaks during the year, we’d never be considered a full time employee. (Participant, Vietnamese-speaking FG)

Sometimes it is weeks without work and so our debt increases and increases and I try to see how to avoid spending… my work is on-call … the 4 or 5 jobs that I have I try not to have them be on the same day… in one day I might get calls from like 3 hotels and I feel like the one I choose will give me 8 hours and then they give me 4. So it’s something that frustrates you. (Participant, Spanish-speaking FG)

Key Finding 2: Racialized Discrimination in the Labour Market

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Many study participants indicated that they faced race-based discrimination (based on skin colour, accent, religious and cultural affiliation etc.) while applying for jobs, during the interview, as well as on the job.

They highlighted that these discriminations have prevented them from getting stable employment in their field, negatively affected their wage, type of work, work schedules and exposure to workplace injuries; some have been forced to quit jobs that are in their field.

The Black community, the Arabic-speaking community (particularly the Muslim community), and people with low English language fluency experience racism more frequently and more intensely in the labour market.

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Selected Quotes I had similar experience: I worked before the day care in a hair salon. I

have an experience in that and certificates. Since my husband could not find a job I had to work in a salon. I worked for less than three months. On third month, the owner told me if you could remove the veil. It was a men’s and women’s Salon. If it was only a women’s Salon I would not mind, but since it was unisex, I cannot remove it. I refused to take the hijab off ; he really wanted me to work with him, but without the hijab. I, then, had to leave the job. (Participant from Arabic-speaking FG)

Like for a Black kid… when you do go out and work, you get these crappy jobs and you are just sitting there like ‘Oh man this is eight hours I got to lift boxes and do this and do that.’ Especially young Black males, which is one thing I put down. they are expected to do more than they are capable of. Every time I walk into a place they put me on the hardest machine, the hardest job. (Participant from Canadian-born FG)

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Key Finding 3: Place-base Discrimination Participants noted that Black Creek residents were stereotyped as being

“lazy” “not very bright,” “uncivilized” and “violent” from non-local employers and thus were less likely to be hired . Many preferred not to use their “Black Creek address” when applying for jobs.

Study participants also highlighted that stable, decent jobs are very hard to find within Black Creek (while ‘temp agencies’ and ‘temp jobs’ are increasing) and that even local companies and institutions do not hire locally.

Study has documented disturbing evidence about the deep rooted history of racial profiling and criminalization of racialized youth in the Black Creek area and how this has long-term negative impacts on employment security and health for these youth and their families.

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Selected Quotes I believe that for people in this area the employer doesn’t value the

employees the same way… they (employers) think is a very low educated people. Not very bright… because they live in this area and can’t afford a better place of living. (Participant, all-male FG)

And the other problem usually they see is even the address problem… they don’t hire people from the Jane and Finch area. So you will see a lot of clients who want to put their resume a different address. I live in Scarborough, downtown while they’re living here. . . So it’s kind of a stigma, Jane and Finch, lack of a lot of employers who want to hire people in this area. (Participant, service provider FG – frontline)

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Key Finding 4: Long-term impacts of non-recognition of foreign credentials/experiences

Study results indicate that accreditation process appears to be very cumbersome and geared at creating unnecessary barriers for qualified immigrants to enter their field.

All immigrant participants highlighted that non-recognition of their foreign credentials/experiences has long-term impact on their career and that over time it gets more difficult to get jobs in their field. Even immigrants who pay significantly to earn a Canadian degree face barriers getting stable employment.

In contrast, when they apply for jobs in low-wage, labour, factory jobs, employers are quick to hire racialized immigrants without any previous experience and training.

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Selected Quotes My husband is here and for a whole year he tried to do exams here,

he is an engineer, but he cannot work in his field here. He looked for a job for two years and could not find any in his field. He worked in very low paid jobs. He worked as a technician and got $12 an hour. He worked in all sort of work that do not fit his work experience and knowledge of the field. The country does not allow him to gain this “Canadian experience.” (Participant, Arabic-speaking FG)

I have been in Canada 10 years, and I’m still not working much. Some days I work a bit at the hotel, some days I work a bit at the hospitals… Ten years living here and ten years having the same problem… one cannot live like that… that’s my stress because I have not found anything secure up to now. (Participant Spanish-speaking FG)

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Key Finding 5: Adverse Impacts on Health Precarious jobs and income insecurity is having damaging impacts on

health; 40% self-rated their current health to be less than good. Prevalent health impacts include mental health issues, digestive disorders, physiological impacts, cardiovascular impacts, and direct workplace injuries.

Participants were particularly concerned about the impact on family and children including negative effects on family relationship, household food security, and children’s education.

Study results indicate that prolonged exposure to precarious employment and income insecurity results in cumulative “health strain” and long-term deterioration of health for racialized families.

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Selected Quotes …the only job I have been able to find since I arrived is in cleaning

[laughs] . I don’t do it anymore because bleach is really bad for me, I’ve developed an allergy to it and I can’t breathe anymore so chemicals are really terrible. So I put the lungs [picture for the ‘Body Mapping’ exercise] because it’s something that affects one’s health terribly, I’ve even had to go to the hospital because of using chemicals. …they (employers) don’t provide you with…no gloves or a mask. No, nothing. (Participant, Hindi-Urdu-speaking FG)

Health is affected, long term health problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, general health is affected, when one is engaged in working or thinking about work, no time to take care of ones kids. You are always stressed, no time to do anything else for ones heath. All this have negative affects on you and on your kid’s health. You can’t give your kids their attention or rights, you want to give them a lot of things but you neither have time nor your state of mind and mood, so it makes me feel bad. (Participant, Arabic-speaking FG)

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Key Finding 6: Policy Gaps and Limitations Experiences of study participants reveal many policy gaps/limitations

including:Widely available employment services like resume clinics and job readiness

trainings lead to “reshuffling of resumes’ and patronizing lessons in changing attitude and character and not to stable employment.

Promising services like occupational bridging programs, apprenticeships, job mentorship programs and on-the-job training are underfunded and have restrictive inclusion criteria.

Claw-backs and marketization of social services and social safety nets (EI, OW, ODSP etc.) are preventing service providers from offering integrated, family-centred services that can promote economic security and health.

Service provider participants also discussed operational and emotional impacts on them (e.g. having to work longer hours and in weekend, “vicarious trauma”, “compassion fatigue.”) due to increasing complexities of economic and health challenges faced by their clients.

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Selected Quotes I’ve had people come to me and say you know they’ve gone through all of the

different agencies, and all that happens is that they get their resume rearranged. And it’s not helping them get a job. The jobs are not there. So that’s what the community group is supposed to do. The agency is set up to do resumes, set up to do pre-employment training workshops, work on attitude, character. But it’s not specific job skills that are being taught for that particular job. (Participant, service provider FG – frontline)

There are opportunities for immigrants for non-paid training and volunteering. For instance, Corporate Training Readiness Program in Calgary give non-paid work for six weeks. They look at your skills and government pays for it. Many people are absorbed by organizations but these programs are limited. In keeping with the professional qualifications of immigrants more of such programs should be implemented to give them intensive training program. Alongside they should be able to attain experience at organizations and if the organization is happy with their work then upon graduation they can be offered jobs. (Participant, Hindi-Urdu-speaking FG)

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Key Finding 7: No Recourse Against Racialized Discrimination Study participants mentioned that they either don’t know how to

take action against discrimination they face in the labour market (including in temporary labour jobs) or are hesitant to take action because of potential negative repercussions.

None of the study participants have taken formal action against discrimination they have faced in the labour market.

Most participants were deeply saddened to see widespread discrimination in Canada, particularly in the labour market, and have come to accept racism as a fact of life in Canada.

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Selected Quotes But racial discrimination will never go away. So that is not

something you can change. (Participant, All-Male FG)

[Having] income security, decent work and health does not ensure the end of racism. Racism is an independent variable. Racism will still prevail. It will not change based on our good income and health. It depends on the attitudes or mindset of society. (Participant, Hindi-Urdu FG)

It is so true, it’s exploitation. I feel like it is legalized slavery. I’ve been in an environment where we were standing on an assembly line, packing and it was just the worst position… And how they oppress you because you are a person of color… it goes back to other systems of inequality and that we’ve been talking about for 100 years. Things will never change. (Participant, Canadian-born FG)

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Broader Systemic Levels of Inequalities (based on race, gender, class and other socially produced factors)

Community/Neighbourhood Level

Family Level

Global and local Market Actors(Corporations, businesses, Unions,) and Conditions

Government(all levels including arms length institutions, enforcements bodies )

Civil Society(NGOs, community agencies, community groups, advocacy groups)

Labour Market Policies(labour regulations, employment standards, industrial regulations, tax policies)

Welfare/social Policies(social services, safety nets, anti-discrimination policies, equity policies, healthcare policies)

Insecure Employment Conditions/RelationsInsecurity related to access and status of employment (unemployed, over-employed,)Insecurity related to nature/quality of employment (job stability, benefits/entitlements, link to credentials/skills or interest etc)

Insecure and Unsafe Conditions of Work

Material Deprivation Economic/income insecurity

Health System/Services (quality, access and entitlements)

Social Services and Social Safety Nets (quality, access and entitlements)

Negative health outcomes, risks, health strain, and disempowerment

Family Support (or lack of)

Community Support(or lack of)

Meanings of Arrows and relationships

Figure 3.5 Political economy of employment insecurity and health inequalities (Adapted from Muntaner et al, 2010; EMCONET)

20Drawing by a community resident depicting the relationship between income security, race and health

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Policy SolutionsTo stop the decline in stable employment and overcome systemic discrimination in the labour market, we need bold, proactive, multi-sectoral policy solutions including:

Re-introduce Ontario Employment Equity Act to promote equity in hiring, promotions, pay and work allocation (and more effective enforcement of the Federal Employment Equity Act).

Improve enforcement of employment standards, workplace safety and other safeguarding measures, particularly for precarious employed workers.

Remove barriers faced by immigrants in getting their foreign credentials/experiences accredited and recognized.

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Policy Solutions

Expand effective services that help to create stable employment pathways including occupational bridging programs, paid internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training.

Expand social services and social safety nets with proven track record for promoting long-term income security and health.

Introduce proactive anti-discrimination legislation to eliminate systemic racialized discrimination in the labour market.

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Back to our Question

Is it worth it for me to study hard and go to university if I am going to end up unemployed or not be able to get good jobs anyway?

Youth photo-researcher, Black Creek, 2008

24To build on Anthony, “racialized people are here” and cannot be ignored and excluded.

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Contact InfoYogendra B ShakyaAccess Alliance Multicultural Community Health CentreTel: (416) 324-8677 ext. 286Email: yshakya@accessalliance.ca Website: www.researchforchange.ca