CBC radio host Matt Galloway welcomed Metcalf Innovation Fellow John Stapleton  and Inclusive Local Economies Program Director Adriana Beemans into the Metro Morning studio to discuss Metcalf’s new report The Working Poor in the Toronto Region: A closer look at the increasing numbers.

Written by Metcalf Innovation Fellow John Stapleton, with contributions by Dr. Carl James and Dr. Kofi Hope, the report is  Metcalf’s third in a series aimed at illuminating the realities of working poverty in our region and providing an overview of the factors driving the continued rise in numbers.

In the ten minute interview, John discussed that by drawing on census data from 2016 and disaggregating it, he was able to show how working poverty in Toronto region differs according to gender, age, education, and ethno-cultural and immigration status. Most strikingly, he found that while 46% of the working-age population is racialized, 63% of the working poor are racialized. Adriana talked about some of the reasons that might account for this trend. She also shared her hopes that the report will provoke further research and analysis, organizing and action around the need for higher wages, better job stability and anti-racism strategies.

Produced by Brendan Ross, the interview was broadcast live on November 26, 2019 from the CBC Radio One studios in Toronto.