Citizens' Services
Key findings from three research priorities identified by B.C.’s Anti-Racism Data Committee reveal the need for greater equity and diversity within the BC Public Service, some progress has been made in representation to appointments on B.C.’s agencies, boards and commissions, and pay differences between racialized and white workers in B.C.’s private and public sectors.
“To address systemic racism in provincial government policies, programs and services, it’s crucial that we focus on research areas that matter most to Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “I would like to thank Indigenous partners and the Anti-Racism Data Committee (ARDC) for their tireless work to help the Province identify and understand where people are experiencing barriers accessing services — in partnership with them, we can meaningfully tackle issues of systemic racism with active solutions.”
The Anti-Racism Data Act came into effect in 2022 and requires the Province to publish statistics and other information regarding systemic racism and racial equity by June 1 each year. The act also requires the Province to identify research priorities every two years. Research priorities were set in 2023 and updated priorities were released on Friday, May 30, 2025.
“In these challenging times where other governments are removing diversity initiatives, British Columbia remains committed to doing what’s right and working to level the playing field for racialized and Indigenous people,” said Jessie Sunner, parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives. “The findings of this research are essential to that work and will influence the development of the Anti-Racism Action Plan that is currently underway. We will continue to lift people up so they can build better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.”
This is the third release under the act. This year’s key findings include:
Racial diversity and equity in the BC Public Service
- Indigenous and racialized employees continue to be under-represented in the BC Public Service in leadership roles and overall.
- Many racialized groups are also over-represented in lower-level and non-permanent positions.
Representation on provincial boards
- Government has made progress in the representation of racialized people on provincially nominated boards and Crown agencies.
- First Nations and Métis people are represented among appointees at a similar level to their share in the B.C. population.
- However, some Indigenous and racialized communities, along with other equity-deserving groups, continue to face barriers to civic participation, and those living in rural and remote areas may still be under-represented.
Economic inclusion
- In nine of 26 occupation groups, racialized workers in B.C. earned significantly less on average than white workers, even after accounting for differences in age, gender, education and being born in Canada.
- In six occupations, racialized people with the same education level as white workers did not see higher levels of education linked to higher earnings. These findings challenge a common assumption that more education will always translate into more pay.
- It's important to note that not all occupations have similar earnings gaps and to look at each occupation individually.
Government is addressing these challenges by:
- conducting research with Indigenous and racialized employees within BC Public Service to understand their lived experience and inform actions to remove barriers to hiring and career growth;
- continued focus on anti-racism learning and supporting career development, and increased representation within the public service;
- adjusting recruitment strategies to enhance representation on B.C.’s agencies, boards and commissions; and
- broadening economic-inclusion research to include feedback from Indigenous and racialized communities.
The Province worked in collaboration with the Anti-Racism Data Committee and in consultation with Indigenous Peoples to set research priorities for 2025-27. Priorities are meant to help steer the Province toward research that identifies systemic barriers and requires action to advance racial equity. Priorities also help focus research on the areas that matter most to Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities.
Themes of the 2025-27 priorities include: health and wellness, education, housing, racial equity within the BC Public Service, justice system and community safety, sports and economic inclusion.
Quotes:
June Francis, chair, Anti-Racism Data Committee —
“We cannot fix what we do not understand. Dismantling systemic racism requires us to truly understand the barriers that Indigenous, Black and racialized people face. By working with communities to understand their experiences and to put research behind it allows us to advocate and amplify our voices – data and research supports community empowerment. With the release of updated research priorities, we are steering the B.C. government to take a deeper dive into health, education and justice, yet we also expect these will trigger an all-of-government approach, as we know inequities remain in many other areas. We trust these data and the research priorities will catalyze the B.C. government to take urgent and intentional actions to address the inequities that are being made transparent, and to focus more research in priority areas to deliver real and lasting change for the many people in British Columbia who face racism and discrimination each and every day. This new release of research findings increases the Province’s understanding of what Indigenous and racialized people have been saying for many years – government programs are not serving people equitably.”
Michael Suedfeld, lands manager, Skawahlook First Nation —
“It's encouraging to see the Province finally taking steps to look at long-standing issues, such as public-sector employment and civic participation. Over the coming years, we hope to see government continue to tackle topics that are front of mind for members of the Skawahlook Nation, including health and mental-health outcomes, housing, the justice system and Declaration Act Action Plan commitments. We look forward to being part of this conversation.”
Susie Hooper, Minister of Citizenship, Métis Nation British Columbia —
“Research from the 2023-2025 priorities highlighted barriers for Métis people in health care and advancing careers in the BC Public Service. These updated priorities provide an opportunity to broaden the research focus to consider key concerns for our government, including improving health and well-being, especially for those in care, and reducing barriers experienced by Métis students. We look forward to continued participation in these dialogues to shape future research in partnership with the provincial Ministry of Citizens’ Services.”
Learn More:
To learn more about the Anti-Racism Data Act, view the research findings and actions to date, visit: https://antiracism.gov.bc.ca/
To learn more about the Declaration Act Action Plan, visit: https://declaration.gov.bc.ca/declaration-act-action-plan/
Three backgrounders follow.
