Inuit still less than half of GN workforce

In March 2005, almost six years after the Government of Nunavut was created, Inuit made up only 46 per cent of the Government of Nunavut’s workforce — a number that the GN’s human resources department, in its 2004/2005 Public Service Annual Report, notes is an increase over 45 per cent in March 2004.

The report shows that non-Inuit continue to dominate high-paying middle- and senior-management jobs, while Inuit are concentrated in either the top jobs or those that pay the least.

Sccording to the report, in March 2005, the average full-time employee was 41 years old, earned about $63,853 a year and had worked for the GN for 5.8 years, the report said.

The average Inuk male was 41, earned about $57,744 a year, and had spent 6.7 years on the job. The average Inuk female was 40, earned about $54,531 a year and had spent seven years on the job.

Among non-Inuit employees, the average male was 43, earned about $74,794 per year and had spent 4.8 years on the job. The average non-Inuit female was 40, earned $68,343 a year and had spent 4.4 years on the job.

The number of unfilled jobs remained stable at 17 per cent, although there were even more vacant positions last year than the year before, because the total number of jobs went up. There were 558 vacant jobs in March 2005.

Job openings exist in all three regions and all communities, though the highest number of openings is in the Baffin region, where 353 jobs are unfilled. There are 242 open jobs in Iqaluit, 130 in the Kivalliq region, and 74 in the Kitikmeot region.

The department of culture, language, elders and youth had the highest proportion of openings, with 29 per cent of its jobs unfilled. The department of community and government services was next with 27 per cent of its jobs unfilled. The departments of environment and health and social services tied for third with 23 per cent of jobs unfilled.

The department of executive and intergovernmental affairs employed the highest proportion of Inuit employees, at 56 per cent, while the department of justice employed the lowest proportion, at 37 per cent.

The government of Nunavut aims to have 56 per cent Inuit employment by 2010 — still less than the aims of Article 23, which specifies a “representative government” with a workforce that is roughly 85 per cent Inuit.