DPBA Report Highlights Economic Impact and Call for Change
By Lincoln DePradine
A Canadian researcher says anti-Black racism, especially racism in employment, has an economic cost to the Canadian government.

“As a result of racism, the government of Canada is losing money,’’ researcher Dr C. Justine Pierre, a statistician, labour market and immigration consultant, told The Caribbean Camera.
Pierre also is director of DPBA – Dunn, Pierre, Barnett and Company.
DPBA, which has won contracts to conduct labour market surveys in the Caribbean, is a Black-owned research, management, consulting and technology firm with headquarters in Toronto.
The company, among other things, has expertise in collecting, disseminating, and analyzing administrative, primary, statistic and labour force data on diverse populations globally, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC).
DPBA has just released a “working while Black in Canada’’ researched document that points to “profound disparity’’ in Canada’s employment market, which shows that “overqualification among Black workers is not just a remnant of the past but a continuing challenge’’; and that “Black workers – despite achieving high levels of education – remain significantly overqualified for their roles compared to their white counterparts. This gap is not just a number; it represents dreams deferred, potential unfulfilled, and a clear call for change’’.
The document is titled, “Black Expertise Under-recognized: The Growing Trend of Black Worker Overqualification’’.
The company did its own direct research, over a three-month period, interviewing students, immigrants and more than 1100 workers, some with doctorates and master’s degrees, Pierre said.
“What we found is something that’s not in adherence with the Canadian dream,’’ said Pierre, explaining that the Canadian government is “losing a considerable amount of revenue’’ when Black people are not employed at their level of qualification, and are compensated at an income below their qualification.
The research, he said, uncovered a “troubling reality’’ in which “the rate of overqualification for Black workers in Canada starkly contrasts with that of their white counterparts, signalling deep-seated issues within the employment sector’’.
Statistics Canada determined overqualification by looking at individuals, ages 25 to 64, with a bachelor’s degree or higher, employed in roles typically requiring only a high school diploma or less.
According to March 2024 data from StatCan, more than a quarter of Black Canadians holding a Bachelor’s degree or higher are overqualified for their jobs. Figures show that 27.9 percent of Black workers are overqualified, while only 12.4 percent of white workers are overqualified.
DPBA argues that Canadians of African descent “are not reaping the benefits of their hard-earned qualifications. Instead, they find themselves in positions that fail to utilize their skills, leading to a cycle of underemployment and economic disparity’’.
Among DPBA’s recommendations for change – to ensure Black workers overcome “unconscious bias in hiring, promotion, and compensation practices’’ – is a suggestion for businesses to embrace “diversity and inclusion initiatives that go beyond tokenism, to genuinely integrate the skills and perspectives of Black professionals’’; and, as well, the need for “targeted interventions to ensure that education and skill levels among Black workers are matched with appropriate job opportunities’’.
In the case of the Black community, says the report, the findings are “both a validation of lived experiences and a beacon for future advocacy. This means advocating for DEI programs within public and private organizations’’; and also “building partnerships with businesses and government agencies to ensure equitable employment practices’’.
Pierre said that among certified and degreed immigrants that come to Canada for a “better future’’, many become disillusioned with the employment practices and either return to their home country or move south to the United States.
DPBA’s “Growing Trend of Black Worker Overqualification’’ report is available for free, said Pierre.
It’s accessible at https://www.dpbglobal.com/shop/ Further information is available at email info@dpbglobal.com
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter