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A systematic review and thematic synthesis of Canada’s LGBTQ2S+ employment, labour market and earnings literature

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  • Sean Waite
  • John Ecker
  • Lori E Ross

Abstract

Background: The last two decades have witnessed a considerable growth in the literature focusing on LGBTQ2S+ employment, labour market inequality, and income. During the same period, Canada has emerged as a trailblazer in employment protections for both sexual and gender minorities. Unfortunately, the Canadian literature on LGBTQ2S+ employment outcomes and experiences is disperse and underdeveloped. Objective: This paper brings together this disperse research and provides the first systematic review of Canada’s LGBTQ2S+ employment and earnings literature. Methods: We start with a systematic review and thematic synthesis of the broadly defined literature on LGBTQ2S+ poverty in Canada. We use a thematic synthesis to isolate the LGBTQ2S+ literature on employment, labour market inequality, and earnings. Our search of electronic databases took place in April 2018 and was updated in January 2019. Results: A total of 532 abstracts and full texts were screened by reviewers, which resulted in 84 articles included in our final sample. These articles were then sorted by keywords and those pertaining to employment, labour market inequality, and income (n = 31) were included in this analysis. While estimates of sexual minority wage gaps vary depending on the data and methods used, most studies have found wage penalties for gay men and wage premiums for lesbians, relative to their heterosexual counterparts. The literature on bisexual employment is particularly scant but finds that bisexual men and women also earn less than their heterosexual counterparts. Research on the subjective workplace experiences of LGBTQ2S+ individuals find unique challenges, barriers and, at times, exclusion from the Canadian labour market. Conclusions and implications: While the literature on LGBTQ2S+ employment outcomes and experiences in Canada is growing, much is left unknown. The principal limitation for researchers continues to be the dearth of population-based surveys that include questions on sexual orientation, gender identity, and relevant employment characteristics. To date, few studies have explored employment outcomes or the subjective workplace experiences of bisexuals, transgender, two-spirit or other gender minority peoples.

Suggested Citation

  • Sean Waite & John Ecker & Lori E Ross, 2019. "A systematic review and thematic synthesis of Canada’s LGBTQ2S+ employment, labour market and earnings literature," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0223372
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223372
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frances Woolley & Am Lafrance & Casey Warman, 2009. "Sexual Identity And The Marriage Premium," Working Paper 1219, Economics Department, Queen's University.
    2. Christopher S. Carpenter, 2008. "Sexual orientation, work, and income in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(4), pages 1239-1261, November.
    3. Krishna Pendakur & Ravi Pendakur, 2011. "Aboriginal Income Disparity in Canada," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 37(1), pages 61-83, March.
    4. Douglas W. Allen, 2015. "Household Production And Sexual Orientation," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 53(1), pages 406-418, January.
    5. Cara Brown, 1998. "Sexual Orientation and Labor Economics," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(2), pages 89-95.
    6. Nathaniel M Lewis & Suzanne Mills, 2016. "Seeking security: Gay labour migration and uneven landscapes of work," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(12), pages 2484-2503, December.
    7. Benjamin Cerf, 2016. "Sexual Orientation, Income, and Stress at Work," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 546-575, October.
    8. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    9. Maryam Dilmaghani, 2018. "Sexual orientation, labour supply and occupational sorting in Canada," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(4), pages 298-318, July.
    10. Lori E Ross & Margaret F Gibson & Andrea Daley & Leah S Steele & Charmaine C Williams, 2018. "In spite of the system: A qualitatively-driven mixed methods analysis of the mental health services experiences of LGBTQ people living in poverty in Ontario, Canada," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-23, August.
    11. Jonathan Haughton & Shahidur R. Khandker, 2009. "Handbook on Poverty and Inequality," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 11985, December.
    12. Christopher S. Carpenter, 2008. "Sexual orientation, work, and income in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 41(4), pages 1239-1261, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michele BAIOCCO & Martin BLAIS & Mariia SAMOILENKO & Line CHAMBERLAND & Isabel CÔTÉ, 2023. "Development of a composite job quality index for LGBTQ+ workers in Quebec (Canada)," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 162(2), pages 327-353, June.
    2. Taryn Eames, 2024. "Taryn versus Taryn (she/her) versus Taryn (they/them): A Field Experiment on Pronoun Disclosure and Hiring Discrimination," Working Papers tecipa-766, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.

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