Despite challenges, Black Canadians see progress in workplace equity

Over the past five years, 86 per cent of Black Canadians feel their employer has made progress on the promises it made to create a more equitable workplace for Black employees, finds a new survey from KPMG in Canada. KPMG's fourth annual poll of Black Canadians in the workplace, highlights that while 77 per cent of Black Canadians still encounter microaggressions, discrimination and racism at work, over eight in 10 think Canadian companies will continue to support efforts to eliminate systemic racism/biases in the way they recruit, hire and promote people.

“It’s heartening that Black Canadians feel corporate Canada has made progress on its goals to be more inclusive and equitable,” says Rob Davis, Chief Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Officer at KPMG in Canada. “But while organizations have done much to ensure that all employees are treated fairly, our survey reveals that many Black Canadians continue to experience racism in the workplace and within society which creates concerns about how their employer plans to keep improving in the future.”

Despite this, 75 per cent of Black Canadians feel valued and respected in the same way as their non-Black colleagues. A further 78 per cent express confidence in their company's ability to reduce systemic barriers in the workplace over the next five years. Mr. Davis says this optimism is crucial as it reflects that organizations understand the importance of creating workplaces free of bias to ensure the best people are hired, promoted and everyone is heard and valued.

"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,” says Mr. Davis. “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.”

Poll respondents echo the value of feeling supported in the workplace with nearly nine in 10 saying it’s important for business leaders to be vocal on anti-racism as they see online hate from social media platforms spilling over into the workforce, creating tension, division, discomfort, and racism.  

Key poll highlights:

• 86 per cent of 1,000 Black Canadians surveyed say their employer has fulfilled its promises to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace for Black employees in the past five years
• 83 per cent think Canadian companies will carve out their own path from the U.S. and continue to support efforts to eliminate systemic racism/biases in the way they recruit, hire and promote people
• 77 per cent say they experienced microaggressions, discrimination, or acts of racism at work over the past year
  • 23 per cent experienced more
  • 32 per cent experienced fewer
  • 21 per cent experienced the same amount
• 79 per cent also experienced microaggressions, discrimination, or acts of racism outside the workplace, in society
• 75 per cent witnessed microaggressions at work over the past year and 81 per cent in society
• 75 per cent feel they are valued and respected in the same way as their non-Black colleagues
• 78 per cent are confident in their company’s ability to reduce systemic barriers for Black Canadians in the workplace in the next five years
• 88 per cent think it’s important for business leaders to be vocal on anti-racism
• 78 per cent say online hate from social media platforms is spilling over into the workforce, creating tension, division, discomfort, and racism.

About KPMG’s Black Canadians in the workplace poll

In its fourth annual survey, KPMG in Canada surveyed 1,000 Canadians who self-identified as Black on the progress their employer has made to address systemic racism in the workplace. The survey was conducted from Dec. 17, 2024, to Jan. 6, 2025, on Sago’s AskingCanadians panel, using its Methodify online research platform. Half of the respondents are women and 48 per cent are men. The respondents are between the ages 25 and 65, are employed (92 per cent), self-employed (4 per cent), and unemployed (3 per cent). The margin of error is +/3.1 percentage points at a confidence level of 95 per cent.