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IQALUIT - Ten years into Nunavut's history and Inuit occupy only 52 per cent of territorial government jobs, a statistic that Human Resources Minister Dan Shewchuk admits isn't good enough.

Inuit represent more than 80 per cent of Nunavut's population, and the Department of Human Resources' long-term goal is to have as large a proportion of Inuit in government jobs as in the population, Shewchuk said.

Human Resources Minister Dan Shewchuk says Inuit representation at the GN isn't good enough. - NNSL file photo

The minister said part of the problem is the high levels of qualifications many government positions require. Shewchuk admitted one of his portfolios, the Department of Environment, employs fewer Inuit for its size than any other department. Only 40 per cent of Environment's staff are Inuit.

Shewchuk pointed out that many Environment positions demand advanced university degrees in scientific disciplines like biology.

"We do not have people like that in Nunavut in terms of (NLCA) beneficiaries," Shewchuk said.

The minister said he's optimistic about the longer-term picture, saying the Inuit representation especially in middle and senior management positions was increasing as more Inuit are getting professional qualifications through Arctic College and other institutions.

The Department of Human Resources is going to be reviewed to look for ways to improve the Inuit representation in the GN workforce.

The Human Resources department has difficulty filling many positions, whether Inuit or not. Nearly a quarter of positions in the Government of Nunavut are unfilled. Out of 3,833 territorial government jobs across Nunavut, 897 are vacant, according Shewchuk.

The worst vacancy rates were in the Department of the Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs – only 55 per cent of positions are filled. Other departments with many empty seats include Health and Social Services, Finance and Economic Development and Transportation. The departments with the highest percentages of filled positions are Legislature and Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, both exceeding 80 per cent.

Cambridge Bay is the administrative centre with the most vacancies as only 62 per cent of government jobs there are filled.

Vicki Aitoak, a business manager in Cambridge Bay, said she didn't really notice any significant problems with government services despite all the jobs that are unfilled.

"We don't really have any problems I've noticed," she said. "The services are as good as ever. It hasn't really affected us. We access the government very little – just some personal health care."

Another resident of Cambridge Bay, who requested not to be identified, suspected the reason for the high vacancies was the lack of housing in Cambridge Bay. The person said the housing waiting list was extensive and overcrowding was already chronic. Shewchuck said another factor is the difficulty in retaining staff hired from southern Canada. The Government of Nunavut competes with other governments and the private sector for qualified employees, so turnover is high.

Shewchuk said he hopes the global financial crisis could indirectly benefit the Government of Nunavut by reducing the competition it faces from the private sector. As businesses tighten their belts, it's possible more skilled people will be available for government jobs, especially the trades positions in the Department of Housing.