A new research appears to confirm what many have been saying since the pandemic broke out in Canada in the spring: Black Canadians are being hit disproportionately hard by COVID-19 physically and financially.
The research, which its authors say is the first of its kind in Canada, was carried out by the Edmonton-based African Canadian Civic Engagement Council and Innovative Research Group.
Although further research is needed, poorer health outcomes for Black Canadians may be explained by greater exposure at work to the virus. Black Canadians are much more likely to report their job requires them to work with people face-to-face (net +41 vs. +25 national average). They are also more likely to feel that no matter what steps they take, their day-to-day routine puts them at an uncomfortably high risk of catching the virus. A factor may be the commute, as Black Canadians are twice as likely to take public transport (25% vs. 12%) and twice as likely to report that their commute is unsafe (24% vs. 12%)
Black Canadians are also more likely (56% to 43%) to report layoffs or reduced working hours in their household and are more worried, over the next few months, about paying rent (45% to 36%). They are also more likely than the Canadian average to say their household finances have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
