Exclusive use of French at work declines in Quebec: OQLF study

A 'Now Hiring' sign is displayed in the window of a business Tuesday, May 30, 2023 in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

The proportion of Quebecers who predominantly use French at work has remained stable in the province in recent years, according to the latest data from Quebec language watchdog the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), but more and more workers are having to incorporate English into their daily lives.

In the 2023 edition of its report on the Language of Work in Quebec, published Thursday, the OQLF reveals that 66 per cent of adult workers use French at least 90% of the time in their jobs, a proportion similar to that of the 2016 (67 per cent) and 2010 (66 per cent) studies.

However, while "French still has its place on the Quebec job market," the OQLF notes that "Quebec workers are increasingly accompanying it with English as part of their duties."

 As a result, the proportion of Quebecers using French exclusively at work has fallen from 39.5 per cent in 2016 to 32.2 per cent in 2023.

 In the 18 to 34 age group, only 22.3 per cent of workers use French exclusively at work.

When respondents to the OQLF study were asked why they had to use a language other than French at work, 30.6 per cent said they had to do so mainly to serve a clientele, communicate with people or consult documents from outside Quebec, while 29.3 per cent said they had to do so to serve a Quebec clientele speaking another language.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 7, 2024.