Nearly one in every two women reported experiencing harassment or sexual assault in the workplace during their careers, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.

The agency also stated on Monday that about three in ten men reported similar experiences.

Among workers, those aged 25 to 34 had the highest reporting rate, with about 60 percent of female workers and 39 percent of their male counterparts reporting such inappropriate behavior.

Statistics Canada described workplace harassment as "unwelcome or unacceptable behavior," including discrimination, as well as "inappropriate sexual behavior."

Sexual assault includes unwanted touching and sexual activity "to which the victim could not consent because they were manipulated, coerced, poisoned, or forced by other non-physical means."

About 44 percent of women reported experiencing inappropriate sexual behavior, about 20 percent reported discrimination, and 13 percent reported sexual assault. Among male workers, three in ten reported inappropriate sexual behavior, 9 percent reported discrimination, and 3 percent reported sexual assaults.

People with disabilities were overrepresented in reports of this type.

Verbal abuse was the most common type of workplace harassment, according to the agency, and women were more likely to be exposed to it than men. Healthcare workers experienced workplace harassment more than women in other professions.

The agency wrote: "It was also found that among women in all professions, more than half reported that clients were the perpetrators of sexual harassment."