Women’s full-time employment in Canada, 2007 to 2021

Full-time employment is an integral part of financial well-being and can be linked to several other positive outcomes for workers.

The proportion of women working full time—defined as usually working 30 hours and more per week—continues to increase, albeit at a slower pace than in previous decades. 

Examining the distinct experiences of diverse groups of women, namely Indigenous women, immigrant women and non-Indigenous women born in Canada, helps us better understand the various gaps that still exist in full-time employment rates.

For example, immigrant women with a bachelor’s degree or higher were much less likely to be employed full-time than their Canadian-born counterparts.

In addition, although full-time employment increased among many groups of women from 2007 to 2021, there was no increase among immigrant women who arrived in Canada more than 10 years ago.

Using data from the Labour Force Survey, this infographic provides more quick stats on how women’s full-time employment rates have evolved from 2007 to 2021.