Canadian farm gender pay gap still wide but narrowing

Dec 12, 2023

Recent study shows decreasing gender wage disparity among Canada’s farm operators

The gender pay gap among farm operators has been steadily decreasing over the past two decades. It still needs a long way to go, but at least it is headed in the right direction.

A recent Agriculture–Population Linkage study from Statistics Canada, which combines data from the Census of Agriculture and the Census of Population, highlights the trend. In 2020, the gap was nearly equal to the national average for all Canadians aged 16 and over.

This shrinking gap is notable in an industry where women’s earnings were traditionally much lower compared to men’s. The formula used to calculate this gap considers wages, salaries, and commissions, excluding farm operators who do not receive such payments.

It’s important to note that the study didn’t account for unpaid activities like child rearing, which could affect annual earnings.

By 2020, the gap had reduced, with women farm operators earning 28.4% less on average than their male counterparts, an improvement from the 35.2% gap in 2000. This trend mirrors the decrease in the overall Canadian gender pay gap.

The study also reveals that the gap is smaller among farm operators who work exclusively on the farm (20.4%), compared to those who work both on and off the farm (32.1%). Geographical variations are evident too, with the smallest gap in the Atlantic provinces (12.9%) and the largest in British Columbia (37.7%).

Different farm types also show varying gaps, with the smallest gap in dairy cattle and milk farms (5.7%), and the largest in greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture farms (38.3%). Similarly, revenue class plays a role, with smaller gaps in higher revenue farms.

Education level impacts the gap too, with the smallest gap among those holding a university certificate or diploma below bachelor level.

Interestingly, over one-quarter of women farm operators held a bachelor's level credential or above, higher than their male counterparts.

Field of study is another factor, with the smallest gap among those in agriculture-related fields. Surprisingly, women in business-related programs faced a larger gap.

Additionally, the gap varies among different racial groups, being smaller among racialized farm operators (20.2%) compared to Indigenous operators (38.8%). Lastly, the gap is smaller in rural areas compared to population centres, although overall earnings are higher in the latter.

This study's findings are a positive indication of the narrowing gender pay gap in Canadian agriculture, reflecting ongoing efforts towards achieving wage equality in the sector. But we still have a long way to go.

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