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Francophone Youth in Ontario — Statistical Profile

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

METHODOLOGY

DEMOGRAPHY

LANGUAGE RETENTION

EDUCATION

FIELD OF STUDY

LABOUR MARKET

INCOME

GLOSSARY AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION

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INTRODUCTION

The Office of Francophone Affairs has prepared updates of the statistical profiles of Ontario Francophones using Statistics Canada data from the 2001 Census. Similar profiles were published in 1999 based on the findings of the 1996 Census.

This profile gives a statistical overview of Francophone youth under 25 years of age in Ontario. Four other profiles dealing with Francophones in Ontario , Francophone Women in Ontario , Francophone Seniors in Ontario and Francophone Racial Minorities in Ontario are also available. They provide a closer examination of the data related to specific segments of the Francophone population of Ontario.

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METHODOLOGY

This profile of Francophone Youth in Ontario is based on the findings of Statistics Canada's 2001 Census, augmented occasionally with data from the 1996 Census.

The study deals with Francophone youth under 25 years of age. The Office of Francophone Affairs defines Ontario Francophones on the basis of their response to the question concerning mother tongue: What is the language first learned at home in childhood and still understood? For the purposes of this profile, the term "Francophones" designates those who gave French as their sole mother tongue or as one of their mother tongues (single or multiple responses).

The study considers a number of variables, including socio-demographic characteristics, retention of mother tongue, level of education, labour force participation and income. Francophone youth were compared to youth in the general Ontario population, to highlight the differences between the two groups.

Two different forms were used for the 2001 Census. The short 2A form was distributed to 100% of the population and included a question on mother tongue. The longer 2B form was distributed to 20% of the population and contained more comprehensive questions for those 15 years and over regarding education, income, employment, etc. The data in this profile are taken only from the long form (Profile 2B).

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DEMOGRAPHY

REPRESENTATION

In 2001, there were 134,595 Francophones under the age of 25. They represented 3.6% of all Ontarians in this age group. Females make up 50.4% of Francophone youth, whereas they represent only 48.9% of all Ontarians in this age group.

Francophone youths make up a larger proportion of the youth in general in Northeastern (21.5%) and Eastern Ontario (12.7%) – both of which have higher proportions of Francophones – than in the other regions. This percentage is 2.2% in Northwestern,1.1% in Central and 1.2% in Southwestern Ontario.

Francophone youth as a percentage of the Francophone population of Ontario is higher in Eastern and Northeastern Ontario and lower in Central, Southwestern and Northwestern Ontario. However, youth makes up 25.2% of the Francophone population, which is distinctly lower than the percentage of youth in the general population, i.e. 32.9%. Francophones between the ages of 0 and 24 are underrepresented in every region of the province. The gap between the Francophone population and the general youth population is more pronounced in Southwestern (16.9% compared to 33.8%), Northwestern (19% compared to 34.2%) and Central Ontario (20.8% compared to 33%) than in the other regions.

This trend holds true for both sexes. In the male population as a whole, 34.4% is under the age of 25, compared to 26.4% of the Francophone male population. The corresponding percentages for females are 31.6% and 24.1% respectively. Males between the ages of 0 and 24 years, including Francophones, make up a larger percentage of the population than females.

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REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION

The statistics show that 46.2% and 27.6% of Francophones between the ages of 0 and 24 live in Eastern and Northeastern Ontario, while 41.2% and 25.7% of the total Francophone population of the province live in these regions. The reverse is true in the other regions. Central Ontario accounts for only 20.6% of young Francophones, yet it accounts for 25% of Ontario's Francophone population. While Southwestern and Northwestern Ontario account respectively for 6.4% and 1.7% of the total Francophone population, they account for only 4.3% and 1.3% of Francophone youth.

From 1996 to 2001, the percentage of Francophones under the age of 25 increased in Central (from 17.6% to 20.6%), Eastern (from 45.4% to 46.2%) and Southwestern Ontario (from 3.8% to 4.3%), but decreased in Northeastern Ontario (from 31.8% to 27.6%). The percentage of Francophones under the age of 25 remained the same in Northwestern Ontario (1.3%).

Young Francophones are less well represented than youth in the general population, with the gap between Francophones and the general population decreasing with age.

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LANGUAGE RETENTION

LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME

The rate of retention of mother tongue is determined on the basis of the language spoken at home for persons whose mother tongue is French. In the province as a whole, Francophones have a language retention rate of 56.5%, which means that 56.5% of individuals whose mother tongue is French continue to speak French at home.

The French language retention rate decreases with age. Among Francophones 0 to 4 years of age, the language retention rate is 81.1%. Among Francophones 20 to 24 years of age it drops to 56.8%. The sharpest decline is between the 15 to 19-year age group and the 20 to 24-year age group. French continues to be spoken at home by 65.9% of youth 15 to 19 years of age, but by only 56.8% of youth 20 to 24 years of age. Another sharp decline occurs between the ages of 5 to 9 (79.2%) and10 to14 (70.6%).

Between 1996 and 2001, the French language retention rate decreased in every age group among Francophone youth, with the sharpest decline recorded among those 0 to 4 years of age (from 85% to 81.1%).

The use of French decreases with age among youth of both sexes. The gap is slightly more pronounced among young males and females 15 to19 years of age and again among those 20 to 24 years of age (67.6% compared to 64.2% and 58.3% compared to 55.4%).

In all regions, the use of French decreases with age. The retention rate varies considerably from region to region, however. It is higher in Eastern and Northeastern Ontario – regions with the highest concentration of Francophones – and lower in the other regions.

We see the sharpest decline in the French language retention rate among Francophones 0 to 24 years of age in Southwestern Ontario. The rate drops from 69.7% at 0 to 4 years of age to 28.4% at 20 to 24 years of age. There is a strong decline in Central Ontario between the ages of 5 and 9 (63.4%) and the ages of 10 and 14 (50.4%). The gap is also sizeable in Northwestern Ontario between youth 15 to 19 years of age (59.8%) and youth 20 to 24 years of age (43.8%).

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LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT WORK

In 2001, Statistics Canada added a new question to the long form on the language spoken in the workplace. The purpose of this variable is to determine the language used at work within the active population 15 years of age and over.

More than two thirds of Francophones speak French in the workplace, but the percentage varies from region to region. It is highest in Eastern and Northeastern Ontario and lowest in Central and Southwestern Ontario.

The percentage of Francophones who speak French in the workplace is higher in the 25 to 34-year age group than in the 15 to 24-year age group. The gap between these two age groups is highest in Central and Southwestern Ontario.

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MOTHER TONGUE RETENTION AMONG YOUTH

As was true in 1996, the data from 2001 indicate that the retention rate of mother tongue among young Francophones is substantially higher in families where both parents are Francophones than in families where French is the mother tongue of only one parent. According to the 2001 data, 91.7% of children keep French as their mother tongue when it is the mother tongue of both parents. When French is the mother tongue of the mother only, 34.2% of children keep their French, but the percentage plummets to 14.6% when French is the mother tongue of the father only.

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EDUCATION

LEVELS OF EDUCATION

Young Francophones tend to be slightly better educated than young people in the general population. A higher percentage of young Francophones than of youth in the general population pursues a postsecondary education (72.6% compared to 69.7%).

A comparison of changes in the data between 1991 and 2001 shows t hat the level of education of Francophones has progressed. In 1991, 50.5% of youth between the ages of 20 and 24 had a non-university postsecondary diploma, compared to 60.2% in 2001. Similarly, the percentage of young Francophones with an undergraduate or graduate degree increased from 10.3% in 1991 to 12.4% in 2001.

Less Than Grade 9

The percentage of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 with less than a Grade 9 education is lower than for the corresponding group in the general population (0.5% compared to 1.0%).

In the age group 15 and over, the reverse is true. The percentage of Francophones 15 and over with less than a Grade 9 education is higher than for the corresponding group in the general population (11.9% compared to 8.1%).

High School Diploma

In Ontario, 88.3% of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 have at least a high school diploma, compared to 86.1% of this age group in the general population. The percentage of youth who graduate from high school is higher for Francophones than for the general population in every region. The gap between these two groups is widest in Northwestern Ontario (85.4% compared to 76.5%).

The percentage of youth with a high school diploma increased between the 1996 Census and the 2001 Census. At the time of the1996 Census, 85.3% of Francophones and 84% of the general population had a high school diploma. At the time of the 2001 Census, 88.3% of Francophones and 86.1% of the general population had a high school diploma.

Among Francophones 20 to 24 years of age, more women than men have a high school diploma (90.4% compared to 86.2%). This is true for the general population as well (88.6% of women in this age group are high school graduates compared to 83.7% of men).

Postsecondary Education

Between 1996 and 2001 1 , there was a slight increase in the number of Francophone high school graduates who pursued a postsecondary education (from 82.1% to 82.2%). In the general population, this percentage increased from 80.3% to 81% over the same period. At the regional level, the percentage of Francophone high school graduates who pursued a postsecondary education increased in Eastern Ontario (from 82.9% to 84.2%) but decreased in the other regions, particularly in Central Ontario, where it dropped from 84.2% to 82.6% between 1996 and 2001.

The percentage of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 who pursue a postsecondary education is higher than in the general population. However, there are important regional variations. The percentage of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 who pursue a postsecondary education is higher in Central (82.6% compared to 81.5%) and Eastern Ontario (84.2% compared to 83%) but lower than in the general population in the other regions. The gap is widest in Southwestern Ontario (75.6% compared to 77%).

Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 who pursue a postsecondary education are less likely to attend university than their counterparts in the general population (47.7% compared to 55.3%). This observation holds true for all of the regions. The gap between Francophones and the general population is widest in Northeastern Ontario, where 34.2% of young Francophones pursue a university education compared to 41.6% of their counterparts in the general population. A larger percentage of young Francophone women than young Francophone men pursue a university education (52.5% compared to 42%). This trend can also be seen in the general population.

The percentage of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 who have a university degree is comparable to that of this age group in the general population (12.4% compared to 12.6%). However, it varies from region to region. In Central, Eastern and Southwestern Ontario, the percentage of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 who have a university degree is higher than for youth in the general population in these regions. The reverse is true in Northeastern Ontario, where the percentage of young Francophones who have an undergraduate degree is lower than for the general population between the ages of 20 and 24.

A greater number of young Francophone women than men graduate from university (15.6% compared to 9%). The percentage of young Francophone women with a university degree is similar to the percentage in the general population (15.6%). Among Francophone men 20 to 24 years of age, the percentage that graduates from university is lower than for youth in the general population (9% compared to 9.7%). Between 1996 and 2001, the percentage of young Francophones with an undergraduate degree decreased in all of the regions. The largest decreases were in Southwestern Ontario (from 14.1% to 10.2%) and Central Ontario (from 16.5% to15%) 2 . In the general population, the percentage of young university graduates remained the same in Eastern Ontario, increased in Central Ontario and decreased in the other regions during this time.

Graduate Studies

Among Ontarians 20 to 24 years of age enrolled in a university, Francophones are more likely to obtain an undergraduate degree than the general population (35.7% compared to 32.7%). Similarly, Francophones with a Bachelor's degree between the ages of 20 and 24 are more likely to obtain a graduate diploma or degree than holders of Bachelor's degrees 20 to 24 years of age in the general population (14.5% compared to 13.7%). However, the percentage of Francophone students with a graduate degree decreased slightly between 1996 and 2001 (from 14.6% to 14.5%), while it increased for that age group as a whole during the same period (from 12.6% to 13.7%).

  1. Excluding Northwestern Ontario, where the number of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 is relatively low. [ BACK ]
  2. Excluding Northwestern Ontario, where the number of Francophones between the ages of 20 and 24 is relatively low. [ BACK ]

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FIELD OF STUDY

FRANCOPHONE WOMEN

The fields of study favoured by Francophone women between the ages of 15 and 24 who have a postsecondary education are, in decreasing order of importance: Commerce, Management and Business Administration (20%), Social Sciences (19.5%), Education (13.4%), and Health Professions (12.5%).

The percentages of Francophone women in various fields of study are similar to those for the general female population 15 to 24 years of age, with the exception of the Humanities and related fields, where there is a slightly higher percentage of Francophone women 15 to 24 years of age (10.6% compared to 8.7%).

The percentage of young Francophone women and young women in the general population in the fields of Social Sciences, Education, Health, the Humanities and related fields is much higher than for their male counterparts. On the other hand, there are relatively more young men in the general population and among young Francophones in fields related to Engineering and the Applied Sciences.

Education and Health Professions are losing ground. Although Education was the main field of study for 21.6% of Francophone women 45 to 64 years of age, it was so only for 13.4% of those 15 to 24 years of age. In the same vein,18.6% of Francophone women 45 to 64 years of age had chosen Health Sciences as their main field of study, compared to only 12.5% of younger women. On the other hand, the Social Sciences are gaining ground. Among women 45 to 64 years of age, 8.2% chose the Social Sciences as their main field of study, compared to 19.5% of women 15 to 24 years of age. The same trend can be seen in the general female population.

FRANCOPHONE MEN

The fields of study favoured by Francophone men between the ages of 15 and 24 with a postsecondary education are, in decreasing order of importance: professions and technologies related to the Applied Sciences (43.1%), Commerce, Management and Business Administration (16.5%), and Social Sciences (10.8%).

Compared to the general male population15 to 24 years of age, Francophone men in this age group are overrepresented in Applied Sciences Technology and Trades (43.1%compared to 32.9%) and underrepresented in the Social Sciences (10.8% compared to12.9%) and the Humanities and related Fields (4.9% compared to 6.9%).

As is true of Francophone women, the percentage of Francophone men with Education as their main field of study decreased from 8% for Francophone men 45 to 64 years of age to 4% for those 15 to 24 years of age. In the general male population, this percentage decreased from 5.8% to 4.2% for the corresponding age groups.

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LABOUR MARKET

LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION

The labour force participation rate for Francophones 15 years and older is lower than the corresponding rate for the general population (59.2% compared to 61.5% for women and 70.7% compared to 73.4% for men). The reverse is true for Francophones 20 to 24 years of age, regardless of sex.

Francophone Women

The labour force participation rate for Francophone women 20 to 24 years is higher than the corresponding rate for the general population (82.8% compared to 79.1%). This is true in every region except Southwestern Ontario, where the participation rate for young Francophone women is lower than for young women in general for this region (79.5% compared to 80.9%). The gap between young Francophone women and women in the general population is widest in Central Ontario, where 84.3% of young Francophone women participate in the labour force, compared to 78.6% of women in this age group in the general population.

Between 1996 and 2001, participation in the labour force by Francophone women 20 to 24 years of age increased from 80.4% to 82.8%. An increase was also noted in the labour force participation rate of the general female population (from 77.8% to 79.1%).

Francophone Men

Compared to young men in the general population, the labour force participation rate for Francophone men 20 to 24 years of age is higher (86.9% compared to 83%). In fact, it is higher than for the general population in every region of the province.

From 86.6% in 1996, the labour force participation rate of Francophone men 20 to 24 years of age increased to 86.9% in 2001. The reverse was true for men in this age group in the general population, whose participation rate decreased from 83.3% in 1996 to 83% in 2001.

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UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

The youth unemployment rate is almost twice as high as for the entire population 15 years of age and over. This observation also holds true for Francophone youth in Ontario, regardless of sex.

Between 1996 and 2001, the unemployment rate for those 20 to 24 years of age dropped significantly. From 18.9% in 1996, the unemployment rate for Francophone women in this age group fell to 9.7% in 2001, while for their male counterparts it fell from 18.4% to 13.2%. The same trend can be observed for young people in the general population.

Francophone Women

The unemployment rate for Francophone women aged 15 years and over is lower than for women in the population as a whole (5.7% compared to 6.5%). This is also true for Francophone women 20 to 24 years of age in every region. The unemployment rate for Francophone women 20 to 24 years of age is 9.7%, compared to 12.4% for young women in this age group as a whole.

Francophone Men

Unlike their female counterparts, Francophone men 20 to 24 years of age had a higher unemployment rate than the general population for the same age group (13.2% compared to 12.6%). It is higher in Central Ontario but, in the other regions, the unemployment rate of young Francophone men is lower than that of the region's male population for the same age group.

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OCCUPATIONS

The representation of Francophone youth in the various occupational categories is similar to that of the general youth population. However, there are a few differences between Francophone men and women 20 to 24 years of age and between men and women of that age group in the general population.

Francophone Women

Most young women 20 to 24 years of age are concentrated in two occupational categories: business, finance and administration, and sales and services, with 67.1% of Francophone women and 67.4% of women 20 to 24 years of age working in these two occupational categories.

Young Francophone women are underrepresented in sales and services (38.8% compared to 42.4%) and in processing, manufacturing, and public utilities (3% compared to 5%). They are overrepresented in business, finance and administration (28.3% compared to 25%) and in the social sciences, education, public administration, and religion (9.4% compared to 7.5%).

Francophone Men

The percentage of men 20 to 24 years of age in business, finance and administration, and sales and services is lower than that of their female counterparts, with 39% of Francophone men and 40.3% of the male population 20 to 24 years of age working in these two occupational categories compared to 67.1% of Francophone women and 67.4% of the female population in this age group. The majority of young men 20 to 24 years of age work in sales and services and in the trades, transportation, and machine operation (49.3% of Francophones and 52.2% of the total population).

Francophone men 20 to 24 years of age are overrepresented in business, finance and administration (13.3% compared to 11.5%) and the natural and applied sciences (12.4% compared to 9.4%). They are underrepresented in sales and services (25.7% compared to 28.8%) and processing, manufacturing, and public utilities (7.5% compared to 11.4%).

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INCOME

EMPLOYMENT INCOME LEVELS

As is true for the employment income of Francophones in general, young Francophones fare better than young people in the general population. Proportionally fewer Francophones 20 to 24 years of age than youth in the general population find themselves in the employment income category of less than $10,000. There are proportionally more Francophones 20 to 24 years of age in the employment income categories over $10,000.

Francophone Women

Where employment incomeis concerned, Francophone women 20 to 24 years of age fare better than this age group in the general population and this is true for every region. 3

In Ontario, Francophone women are overrepresented in the income categories $30,000 to $39,999 (6.5% compared to 5.4%), $40,000 to $49,999 (2% compared to 1.4%), and $50,000 and over (1.8% compared to 1.1%). They are underrepresented in the income category of less than $10,000 (45% compared to 50.7%).

Young Francophone women are overrepresented in the income category of $30,000 and over in every region except Southwestern Ontario. The gaps between the two groups are largest in Central and Eastern Ontario. In Central Ontario,16.7% of Francophone women 20 to 24 years of age earn employment income of $30,000 or more per year, compared to 8.7% of all women in this age group. In Eastern Ontario, these percentages are 9.7% and 6.7% respectively.

Francophone Men

Province-wide, young Francophone men are overrepresented in the income categories $30,000 to $39,999 (10.2% compared to 9.3%), $40,000 to $49,999 (4.7% compared to 3.5%), and $50,000 and over (4.2% compared to 2.9%). They are underrepresented in the income category of less than $10,000 (36.4% compared to 40.4%).

In the age group 20 to 24 years, Francophone men do relatively well in terms of income compared to the overall male population, particularly in Central, Southwestern and Northeastern Ontario. In Southwestern Ontario, 26.5% of Francophone men 20 to 24 years of age compared to 18.3% of men in this age group in the general population earn employment income of $30,000 or more a year. In Central Ontario, the corresponding figures are 23.5% and 16.3% and in Northeastern Ontario they are 18.1% and11.5% respectively.

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AVERAGE EMPLOYMENT INCOME

As is true of Francophones 15 years of age and over, the average employment income of Francophones 20 to 24 years of age is higher than the average income of youth in the general population ($15,541 compared to $14,231).

Francophone Women

The average employment income of Francophone women 20 to 24 years of age is higher than that of women in this age group in the general population ($13,777 compared to $12,411).

The average employment income of Francophone women is distinctly higher than that of the general female population 20 to 24 years of age in every region of the province. 4 The gap is widest in Central Ontario ($16,297 compared to $12,815). Central Ontario is also the region where the average employment income of young Francophone women is the highest.

Francophone Men

As is true of Francophone women, the average employment income of Francophone men 20 to 24 years of age is higher than that of the corresponding general male population ($17,338 compared to $15,963). The same trend holds true for every region, with the widest gap seen in Southwestern Ontario ($22,673 compared to $17,171). Southwestern Ontario is also the region where the average employment income of young Francophone men is the highest. The average employment income of young Francophone men is distinctly higher than that of young Francophone women ($17,338 compared to $13,777). This trend is also seen in the general population.

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LOW-INCOME CUT-OFF

The proportion of young Francophones with incomes below the low-income cut-off is substantially higher than for their counterparts in the other age groups, with 22.4% of Francophones 20 to 24 years of age living below the low-income cut-off, compared to 14.1% of the Francophone population of Ontario as a whole. The same phenomenon can be observed in the general population, with 19.4% of youth 20 to 24 years of age living below the low-income cut-off, compared to 14.4% of the population of the province as a whole. A gap is noted in all the regions.

The number of Francophones 20 to 24 years of age who live below the low-income cut-off varies by region, from 20.7% in Northeastern Ontario to 25.5% in Northwestern Ontario.

The percentage of young Francophones 20 to 24 years of age who live below the low-income cut-off is lower than for the general population in that age group in Eastern (22.3% compared to 23.9%) and Northeastern Ontario (20.7% compared to 23.7%), while in the other regions it is higher than for the general population in that age group.

Among individuals 20 to 24 years of age, women do not fare as well as men. This is true for both the Francophone population and the general population in every region, with 24.6% of Francophone women 20 to 24 years of age living under the low-income cut-off, compared to 20.1%of Francophonemen in the same age group. In the general population, 21.4% of women 20 to 24 years of age live below the lowincome cut-off, compared to 17.3% of men in this age group. The gap between young Francophone men and women is widest in Southwestern and Northwestern Ontario. Close to one third of Francophonewomen 20 to 24 years of age live below the low-income cut-off in these regions: 33.1% in Southwestern and 30% in Northwestern Ontario, compared to 15.6% and 20% respectively for young Francophone men in these regions.

The highest percentage of young Francophone men living below the low-income cut-off is found in Central Ontario (21.9%) and the lowest in Southwestern Ontario (15.6%).

  1. Except in Northwestern Ontario where the number of Francophones of both sexes between the ages of 20 to 24 years earning employment income is relatively low. [ BACK ]
  2. Idem. [ BACK ]

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GLOSSARY AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION

DEFINITIONS

Definitions have been taken from the 2001 Census Dictionary and Census Consultation Guide of Statistics Canada.

Average Income

The average income refers to the mean income of individuals 15 years of age and over who reported income for 2000. Average income is calculated by dividing the aggregate income of a specified group of individuals by the number of individuals with income in that group.

Employment Income

Employment income refers to total income received by persons 15 years of age and over during the calendar year 2000 as wages and salaries, net income from a non-farm unincorporated business and/or professional practice and net farm self-employment income (Form 2B variable).

Francophone Population

Francophones are defined by the mother tongue Census question: What was the language first learned at home in childhood and still understood? In this document, Francophones include persons with French as their mother tongue or as one of their mother tongues (French single and multiple responses).

Home Language

Refers to the language spoken most often or on a regular basis at home by the individual at the time of the Census. Statistics Canada is gathering data on languages spoken regularly at home since 2001 (Form 2B variable).

Labour Force

Labour force refers to persons 15 years of age and over who were employed or unemployed during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day. Employed persons include those who did any work for pay or in selfemployment. Unemployed persons include those who had actively looked for work in the past four weeks, persons who were on temporary lay-off and expected to return to their job and persons who had definite arrangements to start a new job in four weeks or less.

Language of Work

Refers to the language spoken most often or on a regular basis at work by the individual at the time of the Census. This is a new variable (Form 2B variable).

Level of Education

Level of education refers to the highest grade or year of elementary or secondary school completed, or the highest year of university or non-university completed. The completion of a degree, certificate or diploma is considered to be at a higher level than years completed or attended without obtaining a diploma. This is a variable on Form 2B that is compiled for individuals 15 years and over (Form 2B variable).

Low-Income Cut-Off

Respondents in private households whose income is less than or equal to the low-income cut-off. The low-income cut-off is based on the size of the household and the residential area.

Major Field of Study

Major field of study refers to the main discipline or area of learning or training of the person's highest postsecondary degree, certificate or diploma (Form 2B variable).

Mother Tongue

Mother tongue refers to the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the individual at the time of the Census (Form 2A variable). In the 2B questionnaire, the mother tongue question was asked after the three other questions on language.

Occupation

Occupation refers to the type of work performed by the respondent during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the most important duties in their job. Data on the occupations are generated using the Occupational Classification Manual for Statistics 2001 (2001 NOC-S) and consist of10 main occupational categories

.

Participation Rate

The rate of labour force participation is the percentage of the total active population, or the population that is employed or looking for work, compared to the population aged 15 and over (Form 2B variable).

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate refers to the unemployed labour force expressed as a percentage of the total labour force in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (Form 2B variable).

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To request a free copy of this document, please contact:
Office of Francophone Affairs

Government of Ontario
777 Bay Street, 6th floor
Toronto, Ontario  M7A 2J4

Tel.: 416 325-4949 or 1 800 268-7507 (toll free)
Fax: 416 325-4980
TTY: 416 325-0017

Email: ofa@ontario.ca

ISBN #: 0-7794-8688-9 (PDF)

Copyright Agreement:

Any reference made to this document must cite the Office of Francophone Affairs and Statistics Canada as the data source. This document or excerpts from this document can be copied, but are not to be sold.

September 2005

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