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Applicants to some of the most critical jobs in the Canadian federal government, including safety inspectors and intelligence agents, are now being explicitly told that they might be rejected if they don’t fit within an “equity-deserving” identity category.

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And in some key federal government departments, 100 per cent of new hires are being screened based on race and identity.

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This is all according to a new report by the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy.

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Report authors analyzed 301 government job openings advertised between February and July, 2026. Of those, 42 per cent were subject to “explicit or potential prioritization based on group identity.”

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“These postings go beyond signalling an inclusive workplace culture or encouraging applications from particular communities,” it read. “They explicitly disclose that certain groups may or will receive priority consideration in the selection process.”

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One example being a position for a Defence Intelligence Officer that was advertised in February by the Department of National Defence.

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“To achieve a representative workforce, selection may be based on qualified candidates self-declaring as belonging to one or more of the designated groups: Indigenous Peoples, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and women,” it read.

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A similar caveat was contained in a recent Transport Canada posting for an air safety inspector. Applicants were told to declare whether they were a member of a “designated employment equity group.”

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“Diversity and inclusion are foundational values at Transport Canada and are core to who we are,” it read. “We strive to become an organization where everyone feels that their voice, views, values and life experiences are heard.”

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Equity was also prioritized in a posting for an emergency management position within Parks Canada.

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“We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare if you belong to one of the designated employment equity groups when you apply,” it read.

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Although equity-based screening was present across the federal government, the analysis identified three departments in which 100 per cent of all new job postings explicitly stated that candidates would be prioritized based on race, gender or ability.

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Every single job posted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the National Research Council contained what they called an “explicit or potential prioritization based on group identity.”

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And the Department of National Defence was not far behind, with 92 per cent of its job postings telling candidates they would be subject to what amounts to identity discrimination.