Banks as Employers
Fast facts
- Canada’s banks employ 267,240 Canadians
- Full-time bank employment has increased 31.9% since 1999
- Canadian banks also employ more than 94,000 people in other countries
The bottom line
More than a quarter of a million Canadians are bank employees. Banks and their subsidiaries contribute significantly to job creation and to Canada’s labour market and many of the banks’ human resources policies and practices are at the leading edge.
Employment trends
Technology, competition and globalization continue to be major drivers of jobs in the banking industry. New technologies have resulted in the replacement of many routine transaction-based jobs with knowledge-intensive positions. These new jobs focus on building in-depth, value-added customer relationships. In keeping with this trend, banks are recruiting employees with higher education or skill levels. Existing employees are given opportunities to upgrade their skills through ongoing training and education. Recent growth areas have included corporate governance, investment advisory services and retail delivery.
Both the quality and the number of jobs remain high in the banking industry. The number of full-time jobs has increased every year but two over the past ten years. The proportion of full-time jobs is higher than it has ever been (78.9%) in recent decades.
Payroll taxes and employee benefits
Banks and their subsidiaries paid $20.8 billion in salaries and benefits in Canada in 2010.1 And Canada’s six largest banks paid $959 million in payroll taxes for that year, including Employment Insurance, CPP and QPP premiums, and Employer Health Tax (where applicable). Banks also offer comprehensive benefit programs and pension plans to all employees who qualify, including those who work part-time. A wide range of support services is available to all employees, including employee assistance programs, career counselling, flexible work options, other assistance for balancing employees’ evolving work/life obligations and training programs.
Training and development
Canada’s banks are leaders in professional development. As part of their commitment to continuous learning, banks offer employees an array of educational programs through traditional and electronic channels. Courses vary from bank to bank, but may include sales and service, risk, ethics, corporate values, information technology and management and leadership skills.
Indirect contributions to employment
The banking industry is a major purchaser of goods and services from outside suppliers, spending $14.4 billion in 2010.
Diversity and inclusion
The banks proactively support and foster diversity and inclusion in their workforces. They actively promote youth employment by recruiting young Canadians and by participating in or sponsoring programs that encourage youth employment such as educational co-ops, internships, entrepreneurial and stay-in-school programs and offering scholarships. At the same time increasing numbers of older bank employees are choosing to continue working past the ages of 60 or 65.
Banks are also making special efforts to help new immigrants adjust to Canada and find jobs. Some banks have dedicated staff; others are working with outside organizations; all with a view to helping newcomers generally and, more specifically, helping them find jobs within the industry.
Employment equity
The year 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of Canada’s Employment Equity Act. Banks were among the first organizations to grasp the long-term demographic and labour market significance of the Act in addition to its human rights aspects. They quickly became leaders in the ongoing effort to build representative workforces and were the first to articulate a business case for equity and diversity at work. The law requires federally regulated employers to collect annual data on four designated groups (see below) although the banks support broader concepts of diversity and inclusiveness.
Women
As of 2010, women constitute 65.2 per cent (133,093) of the workforce at Canada’s six largest banks (excluding subsidiaries), substantially more than any other federally regulated sector. Women occupied 32 per cent of senior management positions and 51 per cent of all middle management positions, exceeding the government’s benchmarks at both levels. In total, 52 per cent of all professional jobs in banks are held by women.
Visible minorities
Representation by people in visible minorities reached 26.4 per cent in 2010 accounting for 10.1 per cent of all senior management positions; 21.0 per cent of all middle management jobs, and 30.7 per cent of all professional positions. These numbers substantially exceed those in the external labour force (the government’s benchmark). They also exceed representation of visible minorities in the other federally regulated industries and in the federal public sector.
People with disabilities
Representation of people with disabilities in the large six banks increased to 3.5 per cent in 2010. The banks continue to work on initiatives to promote and sustain employment of people with disabilities in order to reach the benchmark of 4.9 per cent.
Aboriginal people
In 2010, the six banks employed 2,669 Aboriginal people, an increase of 4.3 per cent over 2009 although the representation level remained steady. This is another group with whom banks are making special efforts to increase representation and advancement.
General inquiries
1-800-263-0231 or inform@cba.ca
Media inquiries
Rachel Swiednicki, Manager, Media Relations
(416) 362-6093, ext. 220 rswiednicki@cba.ca
