Canada’s workforce future depends on the age of recent immigrants. Immigration has long been a source of opportunity and a home in Canada. Diverse, vibrant, and economically successful, immigrants of all ages contribute to this nation’s diversity.
In Canada, the majority of those between the ages of 15 and 64 who are employed are older than ever.
The state of Canada’s working population
A majority of those classified as working age in Canada are over 55 and 64 years old, suggesting they are close to retirement. It’s crucial to realize the population of Canada. Which totals 6.0 million people, and has been aging in general. While growing six times slower than the population of individuals 65 and older. According to the census, more than 1/5 of the working population in Canada is aged 55 to 64, which indicates that the labor force is aging unquestionably.
Furthermore, the low fertility rate in Canada is contributing to this concern. A global population replacement level of 2.1 children per woman is currently in place. Canada’s fertility rate has been continuously declining since 2009 due to a trend. And it will hit a record low of 1.4 children per woman in 2020. Births in Canada decreased by -3.6% over the past year, the largest decline since 1997. It is generally believed that Canada is headed toward joining the group of nations with the lowest fertility rates (1.3 or fewer children per woman) as a result of this decline in the birthrate.
It appears that Canada’s natural workforce will underperform in the future based on all of the available information. According to Statistics Canada, this could put more strain on the nation’s health care system and pension system. Due to this, Canada must look elsewhere if it wants to support and expand its workforce.
According to Canada’s most recent census, immigration should help support this objective.
Recent immigrants age – How it is helpful for Canada’s workforce future?
The vast majority of immigrants to Canada (64.2%) between 2016 and 2021 were between the ages of 25 and 54. It is the age range considered to be of core working age here.
We only need to look at the CRS used to evaluate candidates under Express Entry to understand how much weight Canada places on the age of qualified individuals arriving in this nation.
A candidate’s age at the time of application determines how many points they obtain under the CRS system. The greatest number of age-related issues (100) is awarded to Express Entry applicants aged 20 to 29.
The Candidate who is 17 years of age or younger receives no points. The candidate who is 18 years of age receives 90 points. And the candidate who is 19 years of age receives 95 points. For candidates 30 and older, the number of points awarded will gradually decline from their current 100 points each year. When a candidate reaches the age of thirty, they receive 95 CRS points. A candidate who is over 30 often loses five points for every year they are older. Earning 90 points for age 31, 85 points for age 32, and 80 points for age 33.
The impact of recent immigrants on Canada’s workforce development
Recent arrivals in Canada, particularly those arriving after the pandemic, are predominantly of core working age, given the rapidly growing number of immigrants. As a result, they will be able to support the growth of the workforce and Canada’s economic development. The workforce growth between 2016 and 2021 has already been 79.9% accounted for by them. Therefore, it is likely that immigration will continue to be an essential factor in maintaining Canada’s success.
It is expected that recent immigrants who are of legal working age will have the opportunity to work in Canada for a long time. And contributing to the recruitment of new workers and the expansion of the economy over time. With almost 20% of recent immigrants to Canada being between the ages of 30 and 34 and the average retirement age in Canada set at 64.4 years by 2021. It is reasonable to predict that they will contribute to the country’s labor force for at least three decades to come.
