Statistics Canada examined whether to add a non-binary gender category to its monthly unemployment reports but decided the group is too small to produce reliable figures, according to a federal labour department briefing note.Blacklock's Reporter says the December 5 document says employment statistics continue to be reported using two categories, men and women, based on the structure of the Labour Force Survey. Officials concluded that because the non-binary population is small, responses must be aggregated to protect confidentiality and maintain data quality.The agency’s most recent Labour Force Survey, also released December 5, included a “+” symbol in gender tables to indicate where individuals identifying as non-binary were distributed into the two existing categories. Statistics Canada said the approach was necessary to prevent the identification of individual respondents.Each month, the Labour Force Survey samples roughly 65,000 Canadian households, collecting information from people aged 15 and older to provide a snapshot of labour market conditions across the country. The next report is scheduled for release January 9.The briefing note does not identify who requested a review of non-binary employment data or explain the rationale behind the request..Census data suggest the population involved is small. According to the 2021 census, about 0.24% of Canadians identify as transgender or non-binary, while roughly 4% identified as gay or lesbian. Statistics Canada counted 72,880 same-sex couples nationwide, concentrated largely in Toronto and Montréal.The internal review followed comments in 2023 by then-prime minister Justin Trudeau, who warned that discrimination against LGBTQ Canadians was increasing and criticized institutions he said failed to adequately recognize those communities.In the same period, cabinet commissioned internal Privy Council research examining whether federal funding should be restricted for organizations deemed unaccepting of LGBTQ individuals. No such ban was ultimately introduced.That research found some LGBTQ participants in federal focus groups called for greater urgency from Ottawa, including reducing or rescinding grants from organizations viewed as unaccepting. Other participants supported broader initiatives aimed at promoting inclusion across Canadian society.
