"Having the required number of bilingual people, when needed, is the glue that holds the nation together."
}
There is value in being bilingual.
According to 2021 Census figures released this week, both English and French-speaking Montreal citizens outnumber those who speak only English or French. Earn 40% more on average. According to Statistics Canada.
The median annual income for monolingual workers in Greater Montreal, whether English-speaking or French-speaking, is $43,280, compared to $60,650 for bilingual neighborhood workers. Yes, federal agencies say.
This is a phenomenon in every major city and every state.
In Canada, her monolingual English-speaking median income is her $55,250. A typical bilingual income is $60,550, an increase of almost 10%.
Income inequality was highest in Quebec. Among other provinces, differences were most pronounced in Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Manitoba.
Such income differences are not new, but according to Jack Jedwab, a researcher and president of the Canadian Research Association, wages between unilingual and bilingual Canadians The gap is widening.
"The economy appreciates bilingual people because they are more mobile and have more opportunities for certain types of employment," he added.
"If you want bilingual people, you have to pay [them] more money in this kind of market, which is very competitive and has been for years.
Despite the potential increase in income, bilingualism is on the decline outside of Quebec, according to the 2021 Census.
In Quebec, the percentage of people who are bilingual in English and French has increased from 44.5% in 2016 to 46.4%. Gatineau, Montreal and Quebec City had by far the highest bilingual rates in Canada.
This increase is due to an increase in the number of English-speaking French-speaking countries. In contrast, the bilingual rate among native English-speaking Quebecers decreased from 68.8% to 67.1%.
Meanwhile, in the rest of Canada, the level of English-French bilingualism has fallen from 9.8% five years ago to 9.5%. This is a significant drop, Jedwab said
.
"Something is clearly not working. Is it a second language education outside of Quebec, or is it the message? It is important to say that it is really important to say that
"Having the necessary number of bilingual people, when needed, is the glue that holds the nation together." 65}
Jedwab said that either Canadians were unaware that learning French would bring them greater economic opportunities, or that they "didn't think about it. , is a great opportunity, not only for patriotic reasons, but because it is a great advantage for us as Canadians.”
Citing the decline of the French language, Prime Minister François Lego's The government has vowed to address institutional bilingualism,cutting some government services in English,and discouraging businesses from greeting customers with "". Bonjour/Hello.”
ariga@postmedia.com
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Percentage of Quebecers declining French speakers: StatsCan
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Opinion: Bilingualism is a gift, not a threat
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