As of the latest 2023 data from Statistics Canada (StatsCan), a significant correlation has been identified between the employment rates of core working-age immigrants and the duration since their arrival in Canada. As well as Canada sees surge in immigrant employment in 2023.
It is imperative to emphasize that two primary immigrant groups were taken into account in StatsCan’s extensive analysis: those who are “15 years or older” and those who fall into the “25 to 54 years old” category, which is considered to be the core working-age demographic.
Given their significant representation among Canada’s yearly influx of new immigrants, this article focuses on working-age Canadian immigrants in particular. The emphasis on this group is in line with the immigration system’s goals in Canada, which highlight the latter’s dedication to comprehending and resolving the dynamics of immigrant employment.
Core working-age immigrants’ employment rates
Core working-age immigrants nationwide experienced an increase in employment rates in 2023 that was commensurate with the number of years they had been in Canada.
To be clear, the employment rate among immigrants aged 25 to 54 in 2023 was highest for those who came in Canada “more than 10 years earlier” and lowest for those who arrived “five or less years earlier.”
Specifically, the statistics from Statistics Canada showed the following employment rate numbers for core working-age immigrants in 2023.
- Immigrants arriving in the last 5 years: 77.8% employment rate.
- Immigrants landing between 5 to 10 years ago: 81.9% employment rate.
- Immigrants who arrived over 10 years ago: 84.5% employment rate.
Canada sees surge in immigrant employment in 2023
Notably, in 2023 the total employment rate for landed immigrants was 82.6%, a slight decline of almost four percent when compared to the core working-age population’s employment rate of 86.3% for Canadian-born adults.
It is significant to notice that for two of the three immigrant subgroups, the 2023 employment rate figures represent the greatest level since 2019. In particular, the employment rate of immigrants in Canada over a period of five to ten years fell to 74.4% in 2020 from 81% in 2019. It has steadily increased since then to reach the estimated rate for 2023. Furthermore, employment rates for immigrants who have lived in Canada for ten years or longer peaked at 83.2% before declining to 77.9% in 2020. This number has steadily increased over the past three years to reach its current level.
In contrast, the employment rate for immigrants who arrived in Canada within the previous five years was 71.1% in 2019. This subgroup saw a minor decrease in employment from 2022 (78%) to 2023 (77.8%), despite the rate rising from a fall of 69.3% in 2020. The fluctuating job patterns highlight the subtle changes that occurred within the various immigrant groups in Canada throughout this time.
Unemployment rates within the core working-age immigrant population
Similarly, the trend indicating improved employment outcomes with an extended duration since arriving in Canada is evident in the 2023 unemployment rates among core working-age immigrants. Here are the specific unemployment rates for this demographic in 2023.
- Unemployment rate for immigrants arriving in the last 5 years: 8.0%.
- Unemployment rate for immigrants landing between 5 to 10 years ago: 5.2%.
- Unemployment rate for immigrants who arrived over 10 years ago: 4.7%.
Notably, after reaching a maximum in their jobless figures in 2020, every subset of newly arrived immigrants witnessed a noteworthy decline in unemployment in 2021. All three groups have seen an increase in this statistic during the last two years, though.
It’s important to remember that the term “high” refers to the unemployment rate for each group in 2020 as compared to statistics from 2019. This historical backdrop sheds light on the variations in unemployment rates that were noted during this time period across the different landed immigrant subgroups.
Immigrants who arrived within the last five years
- In the year 2021: 8.6%
- In the year 2022: 7.7%
- In the year 2023: 8.0%
Migrants who arrived between five to ten years ago
- In the year 2021: 8.7%
- In the year 2022: 4.9%
- In the year 2023: 5.2%
Immigrants who arrived more than ten years ago
- In the year 2021: 7.1%
- In the year 2022: 4.6%
- In the year 2023: 4.7%
For comparison’s sake, the unemployment rate for individuals in this age range who were born in Canada increased to 4.0% in 2023 from 3.9% the previous year.
Additional significant employment figures for immigrants in 2023
The highest labor force participation rate in 2023 was observed among immigrants with the longest tenure.
- Immigrants arriving in the last 5 years: 84.6% labor force participation rate.
- Immigrants landing between 5 to 10 years ago: 86.3% labor force participation rate.
- Immigrants who arrived over 10 years ago: 88.7% labor force participation rate.
For those of working age who were born in Canada, the national labor force participation rate was 89.9% in 2023.
An increase in full-time employment across all sub-groups of immigrants from 2022 to 2023
Full-time employment is defined by StatsCan as “30 hours or more per week at their primary or sole job.
Note that the estimations that follow are rounded to the nearest hundred.
Immigrants who arrived within the last five years
- In 2022: 600.7
- In 2023: 647.1
Immigrants who arrived between five to ten years ago
- In 2022: 667.6
- In 2023: 676.4
Migrants who arrived more than ten years ago
- In 2022: 1961.0
- In 2023: 2031.4
Between 2022 and 2023, a particular immigrant subgroup experienced a reduction in part-time employment
Part-time work for immigrants who arrived in Canada within the last five years increased from 73.1 in 2022 to 75.8 in 2023 between 2022 and 2023. Importantly, all estimates—including the ones from earlier—are rounded to the nearest hundred and are in the thousands, in accordance with StatsCan’s definition of part-time employment, which is defined as working “less than 30 hours per week at their main or only job.”
In a similar vein, part-time employment for immigrants who have been in Canada for ten years or longer has increased, rising from 249.3 in 2022 to 252.7 in 2023.
In contrast, the number of part-time jobs held by immigrants who arrived in Canada five to ten years ago decreased from 88.1 in 2022 to 76.1 in 2023. This subtle change emphasizes the varied trends in part-time employment throughout this time period among various immigrant groups.
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