Photo credit: Unsplash

A new survey reveals that while a majority of Black Canadians feel employers have made progress in creating a more equitable workforce, most still report facing discrimination.

KPMG’s fourth annual poll of Black Canadians in the workplace, which surveyed 1,000 Canadians who self-identified as Black, reveals that 77% of Black Canadians said they encountered microaggressions, discrimination and racism at work over the past year. According to the survey, 23% of respondents experienced more such occurrences versus the year prior, 32% experienced fewer and 21% experienced the same amount.

And nearly eight in 10 Black Canadians reported that online hate from social-media platforms is spilling over into the workforce, creating tension, division, discomfort and racism, while 88% of said it’s important for business leaders to be vocal on anti-racism.

However, KPMG numbers also reveal that over the past five years, 86% of respondents feel their employer has made progress on the promises it made to create a more equitable workplace for Black employees.

Additionally, 75% of Black Canadians said the feel valued and respected in the same way as their non-Black counterparts and 80% of respondents said they believe Canadian companies will continue to support efforts to eliminate systemic racism and biases in the way they recruit, hire and promote.

“It’s heartening that Black Canadians feel corporate Canada has made progress on its goals to be more inclusive and equitable,” said Rob Davis, chief inclusion, diversity and equity officer at KPMG in Canada. “But while organizations have done much to ensure that all employees are treated fairly, our survey reveals that many Black Canadians continue to experience racism in the workplace and within society which creates concerns about how their employer plans to keep improving in the future.”