The Aboriginal labour force is young and is growing at twice the Canadian rate. The lag in labour force participation is greatest for on-reserve Indians. The gap in life expectancy between First Nations and other Canadians is seven years. 27 births per 1,000 people in the population compared to 13 for Canada as a whole. Aboriginal people are more likely than other Canadians to have hearing, sight and speech disabilities.
Mobility impairment occurs at the same rate for both populations.
Incarceration rates of Aboriginal people are 5-6 times higher than the national average. Most Aboriginal people are at or below the poverty line. In major western cities, four times as many Aboriginal people as other citizens are below the poverty line. In order to address the above challenges, the CLC is committed to working together with the Aboriginal communities to address systemic racism in the justice system, access to jobs, healthcare, housing, childcare and education. We will therefore continue to work in partnership with Aboriginal workers in the labour movement, their families and communities on these challenges.