Education Outcomes for Black Second-and Third Generation+ Canadians

There are two factors that are important for this conversation: level of education, and labour outcomes. Together, these factors make up socioeconomic status, with higher levels of education being positively correlated with increased earnings.

When it comes to education, 2021 data from a recent Statistics Canada report shows progressively worse education levels across Black Canadian generations. In the analysis of labour force participants aged 25-54, 37.3% of all Black immigrants have a bachelor’s degree or higher. This average is elevated for Black immigrants born in Africa (46.1%) and those in the rest of the world (43.6%). However, when compared to second- and third generation+ Black Canadians, we see a nearly 17-point decline in bachelor’s degree attainment over two generations (34%for second generation, and 20.4% for third generation+).

Now, this decline in bachelor’s degree attainment is not unique to Black people. Notably, a 2023 Statistics Canada study analyzing education levels found a broader downward trend across all racialized and non-racialized communities in education. But the difference is this decline was most pronounced in Black Canadians who were third generation+. From this data we can surmise attaining a bachelor’s degree in Canada may not be as accessible for later Black generations. Much of this is the result of early education (streaming) biases and post-secondary costs that disadvantage and discourage Canadian born Black populations. Overall, we see that cracks in Canada’s education-to-labour pipeline begin with education accessibility and quality, and end with stagnation.

We miss this point when the data of all Black groups are combined. In that context, the broader story told is nearly 38% of the Black population aged 25-54 have a bachelor’s degree or higher. When benchmarked against the total Canadian population average of 38.8%, arguments of Black stagnation are increasingly irrelevant. Subsequently we are led to believe the Canadian system contributes to upward mobility. However, because Black immigrant education levels inflate the total Black average, when the veil is pulled back we see later generation Black Canadians are stagnated and recessed in our domestic environment.

Labour Outcomes for Black Second- and Third Generation+ Canadians

Given the correlation between education and labour, it’s no secret that Black second- and third generation+ Canadians also have declining labour outcomes. Employment rates of Black second generation (72.5%) and third generation+ Canadians (64.8%) drop nearly 10 per cent over two generations when compared to that of the total Black immigrant population (74.9%). And to make matters worse, median annual employment income, particularly for the third generation+, was over $4,000 less than the total Black immigrant population. This is not upward mobility.

What Does This Mean for Later Generation Black Canadians?

The collective picture here suggests there is a broken education-to-labour pipeline and a process of systemic business failure. While the grouped reporting approach masks the full extent of this, disaggregated data, demonstrates how the effects of this broken pipeline materialize. And what has materialized is a troubling pattern of declining socioeconomic statuses of later-generation Black Canadians. Despite Canadian education being touted as top tier with predictably translatable local advantages, and upwardly mobile trajectory for second- and third generation+ Black Canadians, even after spending a lifetime in the Canadian system, they miss out on local education-to-labour pipeline benefits. The key takeaway here is as successive Black immigrant generations grow and navigate the Canadian system, their likelihood of generating generational wealth dwindles. So, as opposed to providing a solid foundation for successive generations to build on, successive generations seem to be building on sinking sand, causing progressive generational slippage.

Now, many will look at these numbers and immediately default to the perceived inadequacies of Black Canadians, blaming them for the outcomes of subsequent generations. Some will turn to their own familial experiences having navigated poverty and climbed the financial ladder to success. But this pattern presents us with a sobering reality: Canada’s immigration point system which headhunts Black talent creates a statistical anomaly where first-generation success is an outlier, not the norm. This has been disguised by layered data. What’s more, multiple researchers have found that these trends cannot be holistically explained by individual family characteristics such as age, family composition, geography and language. So, this isn’t a question of willpower or perceived Black inadequacy. The unfortunate reality is that Canada struggles to support upward mobility of Black people beyond entry-level success. It’s a clear indication that there’s a systemic issue.

We also should pay special attention to Black Nova Scotians, 59.5% of which are third generation+ Canadians. This data would suggest systemic pressures could be more pronounced in Nova Scotia, leading to progressively worse outcomes.

The good news is this: in recent years the Federal Government implemented diverse funding programs, with over $230 million committed to multi-year programs that foster the skills of Black youth, build Black entrepreneurs, and support Black communities. This comes after decades of Black people being invisible from economic policy. However, it will take years to realize the impact of these investments for successive generations.

The education-to-labour pipeline is broken for later-generation Black Canadians. For too long we have relied on the crutch of selective immigration, ignoring the sinking sand beneath our feet and the systemic stagnation for later generation Black Canadians.

Now is the time to fix that.