2006 Aboriginal Population Profile for Thompson

View the most recent version.

by Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division

Introduction

This report examines the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the Aboriginal population living in the census agglomeration (CA) of Thompson.¹ The 2006 Census and 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS), which provide an extensive set of data about Aboriginal people, are the data sources.

The report focuses on the Aboriginal identity population, which refers to those people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation.

The term 'First Nations' is used throughout the report to refer to people who identified as North American Indian. The term 'Aboriginal population' is used to refer to the Aboriginal identity population.

Setting the context

There were 1,172,790 Aboriginal people in Canada in 2006, accounting for 3.8% of Canada's total population. Manitoba, along with Saskatchewan, had the highest proportion of Aboriginal people among the ten provinces of Canada. A total of 175,395 Aboriginal people lived in Manitoba, representing 15% of the provincial population. The proportion of Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan was also 15%.

The census agglomeration of Thompson, with 4,930 Aboriginal people, had the largest proportion of Aboriginal people of any city in Canada in 2006. More than one in three (36%) people in Thompson were Aboriginal. By comparison, the census metropolitan area (CMA) of Winnipeg had the largest number of Aboriginal people (68,380) of any city in Canada, with the Aboriginal population representing 10% of that CMA's total population. Aboriginal people made up a considerable share of the population in several smaller urban centres in Manitoba. There were 4,535 Aboriginal people living in Portage la Prairie, comprising 23% of that CA's overall population. The Aboriginal people of Brandon, with a population of 4,360, made up 9% of that CA's total population.

Between 2001 and 2006, the Aboriginal population in Thompson grew by 9%, from 4,520 to 4,930 people. The First Nations population of Thompson grew by 13% over this time period, while the Métis population grew by 10%.

First Nations—largest Aboriginal group in Thompson

In 2006, 3,300 persons living in Thompson identified as First Nations, accounting for two-thirds (67%) of the city's Aboriginal population. Another 1,520 identified as Métis. The Métis population accounted for nearly a third (31%) of Aboriginal people while Inuit accounted for 1%. Another 1% reported multiple or other Aboriginal responses.²

Of those who identified as First Nations people in 2006, a large majority (93%) reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada.

A young population

The Aboriginal population living in Thompson is much younger than the non-Aboriginal population. In 2006, the median age³ of the Aboriginal population in Thompson was 21 years, compared to 35 years for the non-Aboriginal population.

In 2006, over half (57%) of the Aboriginal population was under the age of 25, compared to about a third (35%) of non-Aboriginal people. Furthermore, only 6% of Aboriginal people were 55 years and over, compared to 14% of the non-Aboriginal population. Almost four in 10 (38%) Aboriginal people in Thompson were children under the age of 15, compared to 20% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts (see chart 1). For more details on the age distribution, see table 1 in the appendix.

Aboriginal children aged 14 years and under represented about half of (51%) of the city's children. Nearly four in 10 (39%) First Nations people in Thompson were 14 years of age and under. For the Métis population, 35% were aged 14 and under.

Chart 1 Population pyramids for the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations, Thompson, 2006

Aboriginal children more likely than non-Aboriginal children to live with a lone parent

In 2006, half of Aboriginal children aged 14 and under (50%) lived with both parents. Compared with their non-Aboriginal peers, Aboriginal children were more likely to live with a lone mother (43% versus 16%), but were less likely to live with a lone father (3% versus 5%) (see table 2 in the appendix).

Aboriginal youth and Aboriginal adults more likely to be attending school

Overall, in 2006, Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 24 living in Thompson had slightly higher school attendance rates than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (56% versus 52%). Aboriginal adults also had a greater tendency to attend school in later years than did non-Aboriginal adults. For example, 14% of Aboriginal adults 35 years of age and older were attending school in 2006, compared to 6% of non-Aboriginal adults in the same age group (see table 3 in the appendix).⁴

Four in 10 Aboriginal adults have completed postsecondary education

Over four in 10 Aboriginal women (44%) and almost four in 10 Aboriginal men (38%) aged 25 to 64 had completed postsecondary education compared to about five in 10 (51% and 53%, respectively) of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Postsecondary education includes a trades certificate, a college diploma or a university certificate, diploma or degree. Aboriginal men were more likely than Aboriginal women to have completed their postsecondary schooling with a trades credential. Aboriginal women were more likely to have college and university credentials than their male counterparts (see text table 1).

In 2006, almost half (48%) of Aboriginal men and over a third (35%) of Aboriginal women 25 to 64 years of age had less than a high school education, compared to 23% and 18%, respectively, of their non-Aboriginal male and female counterparts.

Text table 1 Highest level of educational attainment of people aged 25 to 64 years, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Thompson, 2006

Higher unemployment rates

In 2006, the unemployment rate⁵ for the Aboriginal core working age population (aged 25 to 54) in Thompson was higher than that of the non-Aboriginal population (11.2% compared to 3.4%) (see chart 2). Unemployment rates were higher for women that they were for men, regardless of the population group.

Chart 2 Unemployment rates for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people aged 25 to 54 years, by sex, Thompson, 2006

Unemployment rates were higher for Thompson's young people. In 2006, 26.3% of First Nations youth aged 15 to 24 years were unemployed, as were 16.3% of Métis youth, and 10.9% of non-Aboriginal youth (see table 4 in the appendix).

Employment rate lower among Aboriginal people

Another measure of labour market performance is the employment rate.⁶ In 2006, the employment rate for First Nations people aged 25 to 54 living in Thompson was 62.6%. Métis adults had an employment rate of 76.5%. These rates were both lower than that of the non-Aboriginal population (86.2%).

Overall, men were more likely than women to be employed, regardless of group. Among First Nations people, men had an employment rate of 76.2% compared to 52.8% for First Nations women. For the Métis in Thompson, the employment rate for men was 83.3% compared to 73.6% for women. Similar differences were found among non-Aboriginal men and women, with employment rates of 92.7% and 79.1%, respectively (see table 5 in the appendix).

Men more likely to be full-time full-year workers

The proportion for First Nations people living in Thompson who worked full time full year⁷ in 2005 was about one in three (32%). The proportion of Métis adults working full time full year was 44%. These proportions were lower than that of the non-Aboriginal population (53%).

Overall, men were more likely than women to be full-time full-year workers, regardless of group. Among Métis in Thompson, 48% of men worked full time full year compared to 40% of women. For First Nations people, 35% of men worked full time full year, compared to 29% of women (see text table 2).

Text table 2 Percentage of full-time full-year workers, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Thompson, 2005

Occupations in 'sales and services' most prevalent

In studying the labour market of a given area, it is helpful to examine its occupational⁸ make-up. In 2006, the most common occupational category⁹ for both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal experienced labour forces in Thompson was 'sales and service'.

In 2006, Aboriginal people were more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to work in sales and service (33% versus 27%). Aboriginal people were more likely than non-Aboriginal people to work in occupations in social science, education, government service and religion (14% versus 8%) (see table 6 in the appendix).

Earnings declined for Aboriginal men

Between 2000 and 2005, the median earnings¹⁰ of full-time full-year Aboriginal earners in Thompson (measured in 2005 dollars) increased somewhat, due to an increase in earnings for Aboriginal women. Median earnings for Aboriginal women were about $33,600 in 2000, rising to about $34,900 in 2005. For both time periods, Aboriginal women earned about 93% of what their non-Aboriginal counterparts were earning.

In contrast, Aboriginal men experienced a decrease in earnings between 2000 and 2005. Median earnings for Aboriginal men dropped from about $53,800 in 2000 to approximately $44,500 in 2005. While Aboriginal men were earning 86% of what non-Aboriginal men were earning in 2000, by 2005 this percentage had declined to 64% (see table 7 in the appendix).

Total income lower for Aboriginal people

The census collects a number of measures of income that help in understanding the economic situation of a population. Earnings data have been provided for the population working full time full year in 2005. It is also useful to look at total income¹¹ as sources of income go beyond that of employment. In 2005, almost one quarter (23%) of Aboriginal people with income in Thompson had a total income of $40,000 or over, compared to almost half (47%) of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In 2005, Aboriginal women had the lowest median income ($20,900), whether compared to Aboriginal men ($25,000), to non-Aboriginal men ($54,800) or to non-Aboriginal women ($25,000) (see table 8 in the appendix).

Additionally, in Thompson, 10% of the Aboriginal population aged 15 years and over and 3% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts reported having no income in 2005 (data not shown).

Three in 10 Aboriginal people in Thompson living below the low-income cut-off

Statistics Canada uses the concept of low-income cut-off (LICO)¹² to indicate an income threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger share of its income on the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family. In 2005, in Thompson almost three in 10 (29%) Aboriginal people were living under the LICO, compared to 7% of non-Aboriginal people. In addition, almost four in 10 (37%) Aboriginal children (aged 14 years and under) in Thompson were living under the LICO, compared to 12% of non-Aboriginal children (data not shown). These data are based on the before-tax LICO (see chart 3).

Chart 3 Proportion of persons living below the before-tax low income cut-off by Aboriginal identity group and sex, Thompson, 2005

Two-thirds of Thompson's Aboriginal population moved at least once between 2001 and 2006

On May 16, 2006 (the date of the 2006 Census) there were 4,930 Aboriginal people living in the census agglomeration of Thompson. This count does not include all of the Aboriginal people who may have lived in Thompson at some point during the year, but only those who were living in Thompson on that particular day.¹³

Moreover, census population counts may not reflect the possibility that people move between communities—for example, someone might move from a reserve community to a large city and back again within the same year. In Thompson, in 2006, 35% of the Aboriginal population had lived at the same address five years ago, compared to 57% of the non-Aboriginal population. From 2001 to 2006, about three in 10 (29%) Aboriginal people had moved at least once within Thompson, and the rest (37%) had moved to Thompson from another community. A community may refer to another municipality, or a reserve, or a rural area (see table 9 in the appendix).

One in five live in homes needing major repairs

In Thompson, about one in five (20%) Aboriginal people lived in homes requiring major repairs¹⁴ in 2006, with about the same percentage reported in 2001 (19%). In comparison, the share of Thompson's non-Aboriginal population living in dwellings in need of major repairs was 8% in 2006 and 7% in 2001 (see table 10 in the appendix).

The share of Aboriginal people living in crowded¹⁵ homes was 16% in 2006, similar to the 14% reported in 2001. The comparable rates for the non-Aboriginal population were 1% in 2001 and 2% in 2006.

---

Notes:

1. The geographic area covered in this report is the census agglomeration (CA) of Thompson. A census agglomeration must have an urban core population of at least 10,000. For maps, see: Map
2. Includes people who reported more than one Aboriginal identity group and those who reported being a registered or Treaty Indian and/or member of an Indian band or First Nation without reporting an Aboriginal identity.
3. The median age is the point where exactly one-half of the population is older and the other half is younger.
4. A new version of the school attendance question was used in the 2006 Census. Studies on data certification showed important variations with previous censuses and with the Labour Force Survey. It appears that the 2006 Census could have overestimated the school attendance for the population aged 45 years and over. We recommend users of the attendance at school variable interpret the 2006 Census results with caution. For more details on the changes to the questionnaire for the Education module, see: Census questions on education: Some important changes.
5. The unemployment rate for a particular group is the unemployed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the labour force in that group, in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census day (May 16, 2006).
6. The employment rate refers to the number of employed people, in a given group, as a percentage of the total population in that group.
7. The term 'full-time full-year workers' refers to persons 15 years of age and over who worked 49 to 52 weeks (mostly full time) in 2005 for pay or in self-employment.
8. Occupation refers to the kind of work persons were doing during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the main activities in their job. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration, the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.
9. Occupations contained within the categories can cover a broad range of skill levels. For example, the business and finance occupation category includes professional occupations requiring a university degree, as well as clerical occupations that require a high school diploma or equivalent.
10. Median earnings are earnings levels that divide the population into two halves, i.e., half of the population receiving less than this amount, and half, more. Earnings or employment income refers to the income received by persons 15 years of age and over during calendar year 2005 as wages and salaries, net income from a non-farm unincorporated business and/or professional practice, and/or net farm self-employment income.
11. Total income refers to the total money income received from the following sources during calendar year 2005 by persons 15 years of age and over: wages and salaries (total), net farm income, net non-farm income from unincorporated business and/or professional practice, child benefits, Old Age Security Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement, benefits from Canada or Quebec Pension Plan, benefits from Employment Insurance, other income from government sources, dividends, interest on bonds, deposits and savings certificates, and other investment income, retirement pensions, superannuation and annuities, including those from registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) and registered retirement income funds (RRIFs), other money income.
12. The low-income cut-off is a statistical measure of the income threshold level below which Canadians are estimated to devote at least one-fifth more of their income than the average family to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing. For the 2005 matrix of low income before-tax cut-offs and additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue no. 92-566-X.
13. For example, students who return to live with their parents during the year are included at their parents' address, even if they lived elsewhere while attending school or working at a summer job.
14. Dwellings in need of major repairs are those that, in the judgment of the respondent, require major repairs to such things as defective plumbing or electrical wiring, and/or structural repairs to walls, floors or ceilings, etc.
15. Crowding is defined as more than one person per room. Not counted as rooms are bathrooms, halls, vestibules and rooms used solely for business purposes.
16. Data on health is not available for Thompson so provincial level data has been provided.
17. Chronic conditions were those that had lasted or were expected to last six months or more and had been diagnosed by a health professional.
18. Respiratory problems include asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.