Lack of Employment Services Exacerbates Economic Disparities for English Speakers in Montréal

Montreal, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new report by the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) reveals significant employment and income disparities for English speakers in Montréal, highlighting the urgent need for targeted employment services and workforce development programs, including French-language training.

Despite making up 36.4% of the city’s labour force, the report demonstrates that English speakers in Montréal have an unemployment rate of 11.6%, nearly 2.5 percentage points higher than that of French speakers (9.3%). It also shows that English speakers earn a median employment income that is $5,600 lower than their French-speaking peers. Moreover, these disparities disproportionately impact vulnerable groups, including youth, women, visible minorities, immigrants, and Indigenous individuals, who face additional barriers to employment.

“Our research shows that even in Westmount—a town often seen as home to the province’s most affluent English speakers—English speakers earn a median employment income $15,600 less than their French-speaking counterparts,” said Nicholas Salter, Executive Director at the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT).

Compounding these challenges is the lack of targeted employment services for English speakers in Québec. The 2025-26 provincial budget has failed to allocate any of the nearly $1 billion in employment funding toward programs designed to address the specific needs of English-speaking job seekers. 

“To ensure Québec’s long-term economic stability, we need employment services that are inclusive and accessible to all job seekers,” said Salter. “By excluding English speakers from targeted provincial government employment initiatives, we are missing an opportunity to fill critical labour gaps and strengthen the province’s workforce,” concluded Salter.

The elimination of funding for organizations like YES Employment + Entrepreneurship, which provides vital employability services to young English speakers in Montreal— a demographic that has an even higher unemployment rate of 18.4% — further limits access to critical resources that help this population enter and thrive in the labour market.

“These funding cuts reverse decades of experience and progress YES has made. They will directly impact access to culturally relevant English-language supports for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, who risk falling even further behind,” explained Marina Boulos-Winton, Executive Director, YES Employment + Entrepreneurship

The report also highlights gaps in French language training opportunities, which remain a major barrier to employment for many English speakers. Without adequate access to industry-specific French language training, English speakers struggle to integrate into key sectors such as healthcare, social assistance, and professional services—fields that are already experiencing labour shortages.

To address these disparities, PERT is calling on the Quebec government to:

• Increase funding for employment services that specifically support English speakers, including wage subsidies for underrepresented workers and targeted job placement programs.
• Expand access to workforce-oriented French-language training to help English speakers improve their language skills while gaining professional experience.
• Develop targeted employment programs that address the unique needs of vulnerable English-speaking job seekers, particularly youth, immigrants, and visible minorities.

– 30 –

About PERT 
The Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) is a non-profit multi-stakeholder
initiative focused on addressing the employment and employability challenges facing
Québec’s English-speaking community. For more information about the Provincial
Employment Roundtable: https://pertquebec.ca/

About YES
YES is a charitable organization and community-driven English-language service provider that has been helping Quebecers find employment and develop as entrepreneurs since 1995. https://yesmontreal.ca/

CONTACT: Chad Walcott - Director of Engagement & Communications
Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT)
1-855-773-7885 ext. 737
chad@pertquebec.ca