Indigenous employment and income in Indigenous-owned businesses: A comparative analysis

Indigenous-owned businesses are a growing and important component of Canada’s economic landscape. These businesses not only contribute to entrepreneurship and community development but also serve as important sources of employment for Indigenous people. Understanding the extent to which Indigenous-owned businesses employ Indigenous workers is important for assessing labour market inclusion, economic self-determination and the role of Indigenous entrepreneurship in supporting equitable growth. This study represents a novel contribution to the evidence base. Statistics Canada first helped close a critical data gap by developing a framework to identify Indigenous business owners and Indigenous-owned businesses (Gueye et al., 2022; Gueye, 2024). Building on that foundation, the present analysis extends the work to fill another gap, providing data on Indigenous employment within Indigenous-owned businesses. While the Labour Force Survey and the Census of Population contain information on Indigenous employees, they do not offer a breakdown by ownership characteristics of businesses. By linking ownership and employment data, this study provides new insights into how Indigenous-owned businesses contribute to Indigenous employment and income outcomes.