Why Black Canadians Remain Underrepresented in Health Professions Beyond Nursing and the Critical Need for a Labour Market Needs Assessment in 2025

Introduction

In Canada, discussions about racial equity and inclusion have gained prominence in recent years, yet Black Canadians remain significantly underrepresented in health professions beyond nursing and in data-driven decision-making roles. Despite the growth of the Black population and increased access to post-secondary education, the health sector has not seen proportional gains in Black representation across its professional spectrum. Central to this problem is the fact that Canada has never conducted a comprehensive Labour Market Needs Assessment (LMNA) specifically focused on the Black population. This absence of reliable, disaggregated data impedes the development of targeted strategies for workforce inclusion, economic advancement, and professional representation. In 2025, addressing this gap is not only timely — it is essential.

1. Demographic Context and Occupational Reality

Since 1996, the Black population in Canada has more than doubled, reaching 1.5 million and representing approximately 4.5% of the total Canadian population, and 3.3% of the working age population in 2021. However, this growth has not translated into equitable representation in Canada’s health workforce, especially in roles such as physicians, health policy analysts, medical researchers, allied health professionals, and health administrators. Nursing remains the most prominent health occupation for Black Canadians, but even within nursing, opportunities for leadership and specialization are limited.

Labour market integration is particularly important for racialized communities in Canada. Yet, Black professionals often find themselves pigeonholed into narrow occupational categories or locked out of higher-income, decision-making roles in the health sector. The reasons for this are multifaceted but have their roots in structural inequality and the absence of culturally responsive, data-informed workforce planning, which can only be garnered from a Labour Market Need Assessment, A survey in which the World Bank has consistently conducted in Developing countries since the 1950s.

2. Educational Attainment Versus Labour Market Outcomes

Data from Statistics Canada highlights the complex educational landscape for Black Canadians. Among African-origin individuals born in Canada, 46% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Among Caribbean-origin individuals, the rate is 27%, while only 16% of Canadian-origin Black individuals have attained such degrees. Despite these educational achievements, Black graduates face significant challenges in securing employment that matches their qualifications.

Two years post-graduation, Black male graduates earn approximately 11% to 13% less than their non-racialized, non-Indigenous peers. Such disparities indicate that education alone does not level the playing field. Credential recognition, employer bias, and lack of networking opportunities continue to act as barriers to advancement. These dynamics are even more pronounced in specialized and prestigious health professions, where representation of Black individuals is strikingly low.

3. Systemic Barriers in Health Sector Access

Several barriers contribute to the underrepresentation of Black Canadians in health professions beyond nursing:

• Admissions Bias: Medical and health professional schools often rely on standardized testing, interviews, and volunteer experiences that do not account for socio-economic disparities. Black applicants are less likely to have the financial resources, familial mentorship, or social capital to compete equally.
• Cost of Training: Advanced health education (e.g., medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy) requires years of training and significant tuition fees. The financial burden discourages many capable Black students from applying.
• Lack of Role Models: The scarcity of Black professionals in leadership roles discourages students from visualizing themselves in these careers.
• Workplace Discrimination: Even when Black professionals enter the health sector, they often face microaggressions, exclusion from leadership pathways, and unequal treatment from colleagues and patients alike.

4. The Data Gap and Its Consequences

A major reason for the lack of progress is the absence of a Labour Market Needs Assessment focused on the Black community. Data on Black workforce participation, skill development, employment trends, and occupational barriers is fragmented, outdated, or completely missing. As a result, workforce planning and policy decisions are made without a clear understanding of:

• Which health professions have the greatest need for Black representation
• What training and credentialing barriers exist
• How racial bias influences hiring and retention

The lack of data has led to wasted public investments in workforce initiatives that do not serve the Black community effectively. It also means that Black youth and jobseekers receive poor guidance about viable, high-opportunity career pathways.

5. What a Labour Market Needs Assessment Can Deliver

A Labour Market Needs Assessment for the Black community would provide a roadmap for inclusion and empowerment. Specifically, it would:

• Identify current and projected labour market gaps in health professions
• Provide regional breakdowns of employment opportunities
• Disaggregate data by age, gender, ethnicity, and immigration status
• Reveal discrepancies in credential recognition and licensing
• Inform the development of community-based training and mentorship programs
• Help governments and institutions allocate resources more equitably

Most importantly, it would shift the community from anecdotal understanding to evidence-based planning.

6. Why 2025 Is a Defining Year

Several contextual shifts make 2025 the ideal moment to launch a Black-focused LMNA:

• Post-Pandemic Recovery: COVID-19 highlighted systemic gaps in health access and health workforce diversity. The recovery period offers an opportunity to rebuild equitably.
• Technological Disruption: AI, digital health, and telemedicine are transforming the health sector. Without targeted reskilling, Black Canadians risk being left behind.
• Youth Demographics: Black youth represent a growing portion of the working-age population. Engaging them now prevents future underemployment.
• Equity Policy Momentum: The federal government’s commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion make this an opportune time to advocate for data-driven change.

7. Potential Consequences of Inaction

Failing to conduct a Labour Market Needs Assessment in 2025 will have far-reaching consequences:

• Continued Underrepresentation: Without data-informed strategies, Black professionals will remain concentrated in limited roles, especially nursing and personal support work.
• Skill Mismatch: Individuals will continue to pursue careers that lack long-term viability or alignment with market demand.
• Widening Pay Gaps: Wage disparities will persist, further entrenching socio-economic inequality.
• Missed Economic Potential: The Canadian economy will forgo the skills and insights that a fully included Black workforce could bring to healthcare innovation and delivery.
• Weakened Advocacy: Policy-makers will ignore calls for reform due to the lack of hard evidence.

8. A Blueprint for Action: Building the LMNA

The creation of an LMNA must be community-led and include the following elements:

• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaboration with Black community organizations, post-secondary institutions, health employers, and governments.
• Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Combine survey data with lived experience narratives to gain a full picture.
• Ongoing Monitoring: The LMNA should be updated every 3–5 years with annual reporting.
• Public Awareness Campaign: Raise community awareness on the importance of data-informed career decision-making.

By integrating these components, the LMNA will not just identify problems but also spark solutions.

My final thoughts

The underrepresentation of Black Canadians in health professions beyond nursing is not merely a reflection of individual choices, but the outcome of systemic neglect, policy gaps, and a chronic lack of disaggregated labour data. In 2025, a Labour Market Needs Assessment offers a historic opportunity to reverse these trends. It provides the tools to align training with demand, eliminate discriminatory barriers, and elevate the Black community as a vital contributor to Canada’s evolving health ecosystem. Without it, decisions will continue to be made in the dark. With it, a new era of data-driven equity can begin.

About the author

Justine Cleophas Pierre, PhD
Labour Market Statistician | Black Data Advocate | CEO, Dunn Pierre Barnett & Company Canada Ltd.

I am a data-driven development strategist with over 20 years of experience in labour market research, skills assessments, and economic policy across Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa. As one of the founders of Dunn Pierre Barnett and Company Canada Ltd, and CANCARO, I lead one of the most active Black-owned consulting firms globally, delivering over 370 studies in 40+ countries, with a specialization in labour force intelligence, TVET systems, and BIPOC focused data.

Our firm owns and operates one of the largest databases of Black professionals in the world, and we’re behind the Black Data and Information Portal, a powerful tool for empowering racialized communities with evidence-based decision-making. Whether we’re conducting national skills audits, advising ministries on workforce planning, or leading anti-trafficking research in Africa, Canada, the USA or in the Caribbean and Latin America. Our work stands at the intersection of policy, equity, and innovation.

Highlights:

• 22 major human trafficking, labour, and migration studies across the Caribbean and North America
• $2M+ in projects under the World Bank, PAHO, and other international donors
• Strategic collaborations with many Statistical agencies, governments and political organisations.
• Founder of the Step UP 360 program to digitally transform small and medium-sized businesses, starting at $300 per month

Let’s build smarter, more inclusive futures — one dataset at a time.

cjustinepierre@gmail.com or www.dpbglobal.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2_ww_2FJEM&t=12s

References:

1) Black Nurses in the Nursing Profession in Canada: A Scoping Review
This comprehensive review highlights the underrepresentation of Black nurses in Canada, particularly in leadership roles, and discusses systemic barriers affecting their career progression.
Read the full article.​

2) What Is a Black Labour Market Needs Assessment?
This article emphasizes the importance of conducting a Labour Market Needs Assessment tailored for Black Canadians to address employment disparities and inform policy decisions.
Read the full article​

3) Disparities Uncovered in Black Labour Market Assessment
A report revealing significant disparities between Black workers and their non-Black counterparts in Ontario, calling for advocacy to ensure equity in hiring and promotion practices.
Read the full article​

4) Black Nurses Task Force Report
This report discusses the marginalization of Black nurses in Canada, highlighting their underrepresentation in leadership positions and the need for systemic change.
Read the full report​

5) Labour Market Analysis Urged for Canada’s Black Population
An article advocating for a comprehensive labour market analysis to address employment challenges faced by Black Canadians and to inform targeted interventions.
Read the full article​

6) Underrepresentation in Health Professions Programs and Monitoring Progress
McGill University’s initiative to monitor and address the underrepresentation of Black individuals in health professional programs, aiming to improve diversity and inclusion.
Read the full article​

7) What Can the Data Tell Us About Black Canadians and the Labour Market?
An analysis highlighting the employment challenges faced by Black Canadians, including higher unemployment rates and lower earnings compared to the national average.
Read the full article​

8) Time to Dismantle Systemic Anti-Black Racism in Medicine in Canada
This article discusses the pervasive anti-Black racism in Canadian healthcare and the urgent need for systemic reforms to ensure equity and inclusion.
Read the full article​

9) Challenges for Black Undergraduate Nursing Students in a Western Canadian University
A study exploring the experiences of Black nursing students, shedding light on the barriers they face in academic settings and the need for supportive measures.
Read the full article​

10) Anti-Black Racism: Gaining Insight into the Experiences of Black Nurses in Canada
This study delves into the experiences of Black nurses in Canada, highlighting the systemic racism they encounter and its impact on their professional lives.
Read the full article