Qualified but overlooked: How bias keeps Indigenous job seekers from getting hired

Author(s): Stevens, A., Connelly, C. E.

Date: 2026

Resource: The Conversation.

Indigenous workers in Canada experience higher unemployment rates and lower rates of labour market participation than non-Indigenous workers. Policy discussions about closing this gap have often highlighted education, training and skills development as important pathways to employment.

But what happens when people acquire the necessary qualifications, submit applications and still don’t receive a response?

Our new research on hiring practices in the food services industry suggests that improving access to skills and education alone doesn’t fully address employment disparities. Instead, we must also consider what happens after people acquire these qualifications: how employers evaluate, select and ultimately reject or advance job applicants.

Our findings reveal that Indigenous job seekers can face barriers at the very point of entry into the workforce, where decisions are shaped not only by qualifications and experience but also by perceptions of identity and workplace fit.

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Related Research Areas: Vulnerable Workers