Photo: Conrad Poirier · Public domainMaking a living in Kahnawake
Kahnawake was not fully counted in the 2021 Census, so Statistics Canada has no work, income or commuting figures for it; what follows covers the wider area.
The measures behind a Jobs & income Grade for Kahnawake
Four census figures will make the letter, each set against Canadian towns of 2,500 or more: the share of 15-to-64s in work, household income, unemployment and commute time.
31% more people are on EI in the Roussillon census division than in 2019
In the twelve months to August 2026 the number fell by 2%. In January 2021 it reached 9,250, the most in the series and 3.7 times the 2019 average. For each 100 residents of working age in the division, about 3.3 are on EI.
Statistics Canada, Employment Insurance beneficiaries by census division (14-10-0323): all income benefits, not seasonally adjusted. EI beneficiaries: one figure for all of the Roussillon census division. EI counts are context, not part of any grade.
People receiving Employment Insurance each month, as a share of the 2019 average (100).
How Kahnawake compares with the places nearby
| Place | In work, 15–64 | Unemployment | Household income | Average trip | Jobs | Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahnawake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Châteauguay 4.5 km | 75% | 8.4% | $79K | 29.3 min | C | A |
| Vieux-Lachine - Saint-Pierre 6.3 km | 72% | 9.9% | $60K | 29.3 min | D | A+ |
| Cecil-P.-Newman 6.4 km | 69% | 12% | $64K | 31.7 min | D− | A+ |
| Lachine-Ouest 6.5 km | 77% | 6.3% | $85K | 27.9 min | B− | A |
| Sault-Saint-Louis 7.8 km | 73% | 10% | $66K | 31.2 min | D | A+ |
| Montréal-Ouest 8.1 km | 82% | 8.7% | $129K | 28.6 min | A | A+ |
The people of each place: the share in work, unemployment, household income and the average commute, with both grades once they come.
What this data can and can’t tell you
What each figure measures for Kahnawake, where it comes from, and what it leaves out.
- Employment Insurance. How many people in the census division drew Employment Insurance each month; it moves with layoffs and hiring, yet people who don’t qualify are absent from it.
- Which towns we compare. Every town and city neighbourhood with 2,500 residents or more; whole cities and First Nations reserves are left out. Each middle figure is a median.
- A First Nations reserve. Kahnawake’s figures are its own, though Statistics Canada rounds or suppresses some for small communities. A reserve has no overall grade and sits in no ranked list.
Questions about work in Kahnawake
Sources: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population (Census Profile) · Statistics Canada, table 14-10-0323 (EI beneficiaries) · Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey (14-10-0459, 14-10-0462) · Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Counts (33-10-1176). Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).