A recent survey conducted by Statistics Canada unveiled compelling findings, indicating that African and Asian immigrants see a high employment rate in Canada. This remarkable pattern distinguishes them from immigrants from other parts of the world. The research highlights the noteworthy accomplishments of African and Asian immigrants in finding jobs in Canada, demonstrating their significant impact on the nation’s booming economy. These findings highlight how common it is for people from Asia and Africa to have high employment rates, establishing them as major actors in the Canadian labor market. This data emphasizes the beneficial effects of immigration while also showcasing how affluent and diversified Canada’s job market is.
Note: The terms “landed immigrants” or simply “immigrants” are technical terms utilized by Statistics Canada to refer to individuals holding permanent residency in Canada. Those with temporary statuses, such as workers on work permits and international students, as well as natural-born or naturalized citizens of Canada, do not fall under this category.
The study examined the employment rates of immigrants from various worldwide regions who arrived in Canada at the age of 15, and it looked ahead until 2023.
The following employment rates for different newcomer categories were found by the findings:
- Immigrants from Africa exhibited an employment rate of 67.7%.
- Those from Asia demonstrated a 66.3% employment rate.
- The employment rate for immigrants from Latin America stood at 66%.
- North American immigrants had a 56.6% employment rate.
- European immigrants also reported a 56.6% employment rate.
Please be aware that the national average employment rate for this specific category was 62.7%.
These results were the same for both sexes. When examining solely men, the regional employment rate hierarchy corresponded with the total immigrant population of 15 years of age and older. But when looking just at women, Latin America jumped to the number two spot in terms of employment rating, followed by Asia in third. With one notable exception, the outcomes for women were very similar to those of the first two cohorts.
The contrary holds for the working-age population
Nevertheless, the study uncovered more than this. Particularly noteworthy is the revelation that when adjusting the results to focus exclusively on immigrants within the core working age range (aged 25-54), the outcomes were nearly completely reversed.
The employment rates for core-aged immigrants from various regions of nationality in 2023 are as follows:
- Europe recorded an employment rate of 88.3%.
- Latin America exhibited an 82.8% employment rate.
- North America reported an employment rate of 82.7%.
- Asia showed an employment rate of 81.7%.
- Africa displayed an employment rate of 79.8%.
Be informed that the average employment rate in the country for this particular cohort was 82.6%.
For this group, the outcomes were the same for both genders. The employment rate sequence did not change when the dataset was restricted to just females in the same group. But when North America and Latin America were only considered males, North America moved up to the second rank and Latin America to the third.
High employment for African and Asian immigrants in Canada – What is the significance of this?
The observed reversal in immigrant employment rates indicates that people from Asia and Africa who have landed immigrant status are more likely than people from other regions to be employed before the age of fifteen and after the age of forty-four. On the other hand, immigrants from North America, Europe, and Latin America had greater employment rates between the ages of 25 and 54, which suggests that they fit in with the labor market during these years.
Cultural differences during school years may be the cause of the differences in employment rates between these two cohorts, as seen by the significant difference in national averages (62.7% versus 82.6%). The substantial disparity suggests that immigrants from Asia and Africa, who appeared more likely to seek employment during their studies, were less likely to focus exclusively on education between the ages of 15 and 25 than immigrants from Europe, Latin America, and North America. Nevertheless, more data is required to validate this theory. This could help to explain why some regional cohorts showed lower scores in the “15 and over” category but showed significant increases when the data was limited to workers in the core age range. Notably, throughout the core-aged years, employment rates for immigrants were higher across all regions.
Additional data is required
Although the current study offers insightful information about the employment habits of immigrants, the absence of international students and temporary foreign workers from the dataset may have limited the study’s reach and relevance.
With 797,225 valid work permits in Canada as of December 2022, temporary foreign workers are an important part of the labor market and make up a sizeable fraction of the workforce. Temporary foreign workers have increased by 108% in Canada over the last ten years, highlighting the significance of this group to the country’s labor force.
Comparably, Canada has seen a significant increase in the number of international students; by 2023, it is predicted that there will be about a million of these students studying there. International students make a substantial contribution to the workforce, much like foreign workers do, as demonstrated by Canada’s decision to increase their work hour allowance through 2024.
To gain a more representative knowledge of Canada’s work force, these two groups must be included in a larger study.
Immigtoronto, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at [email protected]
