New immigrants struggle in job market: study

Very recent immigrants to Canada are struggling in the job market, with those from Southeast Asia being the only group to buck the trend, says Statistics Canada.

Of the Southeast Asians, however, only those from the Philippines were on par with the Canadian-born work force, said the study released Wednesday.

"Those born elsewhere in Asia (including the Middle East) as well as individuals born in Latin America, Europe and Africa all had higher unemployment rates and lower employment rates in 2006 than their Canadian-born counterparts," it said.

The study, based on 2006 data, looked at three groupings of immigrants:

Very recent immigrants, who had landed between 2001 and 2006;
Recent immigrants, who had landed between 1996 and 2001; and
Established immigrants, who had been in Canada more than 10 years.

European immigrants classified as recent or established were about as successful in the work force as Canadian-born people, the study found.

Europe has been a traditional source of immigrants for Canada, but that's been shifting since the mid-1980s.

Asians, including people from the Middle East, formed the largest group of immigrants as of 2006.

"For all Asians aged 25 to 54, their employment rate was much weaker than that of the Canadian born, especially among very recent immigrants," the study said. "Their employment rate was only 63.8%, compared with 83.1% for their counterparts born in Canada."

Those born in the Philippines, however, and who were very recent immigrants had an unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent. That's slightly more than the 4.9 per cent of Canadian-born workers, it said.

"Immigrants born in Africa experienced difficulties in the labour market, regardless of when they had landed," the study found.

For very recent African arrivals in 2006, the unemployment rate was 20.8 per cent -- more than four times higher than that of Canadian-born people, it said.

Interpreting the numbers

Jason Gilmore, a Statistics Canada analyst, told Canada AM on Wednesday that he couldn't comment on any public policy implications of the study.

However, "we do know that some of the factors related to securing employment include issues such language, level of education, strength of social networks and foreign credential recognition," he said.

Immigration lawyer Ravi Jain told Canada AM that virtually all this country's labour market growth will come from immigration.

"Yet we're seeing that immigrants are having a hard time integrating into the labour force," he said.

Two major reasons are the way we select immigrants and give short shrift to their credentials, Jain said.

"We're leaving out the trades," such as construction workers and truckers, he said.

That's because Canada's immigration "points" system places a high value on education, he said.

But when Canada does let in professionals, those people can't get their foreign credentials recognized by Canadian professional bodies, Jain said.

"On the white collar level ... they're not integrating into the labour force," he said.

Ontario is the only province moving ahead. It has a fairness commissioner who can fine bodies like the College of Physicians and Surgeons that don't move to reduce unfair barriers to immigrants, he said.

Comments are now closed for this story

Allih Retsam
said

All this certification of foreign credentials is but a "money grab". The bureaucracy starts with the Federal Government (who professes to be working towards integration!!. I have lived in Canada for the past 15 yrs. Before coming here I worked in the U.K. and Dubai. I immigrated here through the Skilled Worker program, so my educational qualification were already verified, by a Federal agency. I have been successfully employed since coming here, but recently tried applying for a Federal Govt. position which was a perfect match, but the application could not be taken further till I got my foreign credentials certified. A process that can take up to 6 months and comes at a price. Most Federal jobs are not open to the public, and are Canadian citizens get preference. Maybe the Federal Govt. should lead by example!

Elias
said

This "study" has gaping holes and transparent logical flaws. Of course immigrants who have been here longer are more likely be employed - they have been here longer and therefore have more resources, greater language skills and more Canadian work experience making it easier for them to get work. All this study "proves" is that the longer your in Canada, the more likely you'll be employed. We all ready knew this.

What is usually missing from these "studies" is the estimated savings to the Canadian governments which occur when an immigrant comes to Canada. It costs tens of thousands of tax dollars to educate and raise a child born in Canada until they are old enough to start paying taxes. With immigration, we get another country to pay those costs and then simply reap the tax revenue those immigrants generate when they come to Canada. Fact is, immigration is a huge money maker for the Government. This was the case 100 years ago when all our immigrants came from Europe, and its the case today.

Michael T
said

This study indirectly addresses the importance of having language skills.

Filipinos have good command of the English language, one of the benefits of having a Westernized curriculum. It is not pure coincidence that they are able to find jobs faster than their counterparts.

May be this study will help erase some of the 'nanny' stigma unfairly labelled on Filipinos. After all, Filipinos are considered to be the most educated people in Southeast Asia.

Nikalas
said

As much as we like to believe that multiculturalism trumps all - its just not true. Multiculturism isnt the happy dappy scheme that its painted to be in the school books.

It's a tough world out there and its just a fact of life for new immigrants that adaptations to the dominant culture will be required for anyone to get ahead.

Susan
said

I think alot of people come to Canada because they believe it is a land of opportunity and because they believe they will be better off here. The reality is that not all provinces have a strong economy and we have to accomodate Canadians first. I don't think that it is "racist" to take care of Canadians before immigrants.

I also don't think that the dream of a better life is limited to immigrants though. I live in the North and have lived in the North for half my life. A lot of people move here from other parts of Canada, and from all over the world with dreams of making big money in the diamond mines. However, what most of them don't realize is that it isn't that easy to get a job with the mines, and the cost of living is extremely high. There are agreements with the mines for affirmative action and priority hiring. That means that unless you are aboriginal, you are going to have a hard time to find a job. After hiring aboriginals, they will hire Northerners (people who have lived half their life in the north). Unless you have certain skills it is hard to find a job in an entry level position. As a young canadian, I don't think it is unreasonable to think that I should be considered for employment before an immigrant. After all we all need to start somewhere.

Peter
said

It's clear that in many cases there is a mis-match between the qualifications and experience of recent immigrants and the demands of the labour market. Canada likely doesn't need large numbers of white collar workers, but rather those with experience in the trades. For example, there is an acute shortage of welders, electricians, carpenters, mechanics and evidently a shortage of at least 30,000 truck drivers. Most of the provinces recognize this but there needs to be stepped up efforts and better co-ordination with CIC to solve the problem. Only then will we see improvements in the socio-economic status of many recent immigrants. And, recent immigrants, along with the general population need to spread out across the country.

Daniel
said

It's not necessarily racism or classism. My wife is an immigrant from Trinidad and has a job. What benefits her is that she speaks English, has a sense of humour - helps with sociability - and married a man who teaches her how Canadians are. She never understood the humour of Corner Gas untill she lived and integrated with the locals - namely me.

A lot of immigrants struggle because no one shows them how Canadians act or what the essense of being Canadian is all about. They are welcomed here, but then they are left to fend for themselves and that's very sad.

Andy
said

I would not state that it indicates racism. It is the system here. The credentials of those arriving and or their international experience is often not counted or credited here. Many jobs want "canadian experience..." this is the old catch 22. We need a more efficient system of recognizing foreign credentials so that those arriving can find jobs to support themselves...

Ferdinand
said

I think the selection process for skilled-worker category (the points system) is almost perfect in selecting the best worker from each country. What the government has to improve on is the processing time (I heard that processing in the Philippines now takes more than five years) AND educating Canadian employers, including HR personnel, about the stringent selection process, in order for them to understand that those who are coming as skilled workers are the "creme of the crop" in their fields in their native land and are competent and ready to work in Canada. In addition to requiring immigrants to know either English or French, I think there should be a mandatory seminar/training for new immigrants about the Canadian day-to-day way of life (e.g. road ethics, waste management, meeting/greeting people, lining up). Finally, I want to comment that Filipinos are truly one of the most skilled and most hardworking professionals in the world.

Yinka
said

There is a common saying in Canada coporate companies:

"The Higher you go, the whiter the skin"

In Politics, No different race exist except some asians, no blacks, etc - Gov general was there to calm the storm

In business settings, only favoured whites are succesful.

In employment - Racism is as common and the subtleness is classy!

Paul fr: Fredericton
said

Is this supposed to make me feel bad or something? Guess who else has trouble gaining employment....Canadians. I certainly cannot expect to emmigrate to Latvia and obtain employment immediately....suck it up.

Bob
said

I immigrated from the US around 8 yrs ago and still struggle to find meaningful employment. I have experience as a Corporate Trainer and Manufacturing Engineer and I am constantly told "sorry but you don't have any Canadian experience". The problem lies in the fact that Canadian employers seem to think that there is something magical about "Canadian experience" and are incapable of recognizing the transferable skills of people from other countries. The other contributing factor is the manner in which jobs searches are overly complicated but these meaningless "Certifications" that add some strange degree of supposed quality to a cadidate. I am baffled how all these other countries get anything done with all the "uncertified" workers they have to deal with!

Adam Zettler
said

If Canada is so full of institutional racism, and it is just so darned hard here to make a living, why do people from all over the world come here? Many people are tired of the whining that comes from newcomers...guess what, my ancestors struggled when they first got here too. They were poor farmers and had a hardscrabble existence, without the benefit of all the government handouts and programs immigrants have today. They had to learn the language, they had to crawl their way up the ladder.

Gerard
said

Coming from the Philippines I myself had to struggle(& still struggling) to find a job my credentials would fit me in. I have to study the trades and upgrade my degree. There is one thing clear to find a job and that is common to immigrants from where I came from, that is know(read & write) and speak english and have a degree from a college or university.

Ferdinand
said

I'm very proud to say that workers from the Philippines (like me) are truly at par with the best in the world in skills and work ethics. Now that statistics prove how Filipinos are able integrate well, I hope that processing time for applicants from the Philippines be minimized so that more highly qualified Filipinos can come.

NKC
said

In this country, professional bodies are very rigid in terms of providing licenses to foreign trained professionals. I think the Government should review the licensing process for all regulated professions in the country. In this context, it would be important to review the related laws and polices of other countries, including the United States, to see how they have regulated their professions. To the best of my knowledge, Canadian professional associations have placed most stringent requirements, compared to many other countries, for providing licenses to foreign trained professionals.

Luchi
said

Response to Tom's comment: There are many Canadian born who are on social assistance and do not contribute to this country. For some it is bad luck, but for many it is just laziness.

Luchi
said

My family came from Africa. I grew up here. My parents had to struggle when we arrived in the 80s. Recession & high mortage rates. Mom worked during the day & went to school at night. Dad went to school during the day & went to work at night. It wasn't easy, but they really worked hard and they still do.

I agree that if you are being granted status to enter Canada, then you should be able to speak, read and write English. But about the extended family that get sponsored after. Parents, grandparents, who cannot speak English.

With they new ID (I Deserve) generation - those who were born and educated here, work less, but expect to get paid more.

I have seen immigrants work a lot harder than their Canandian born counterparts, but get paid less.

I don't want to believe that in this melting pot of a country that racism still exists, but unfortunately it does in many forms and places - not just in the workplace.

For new immigrants, you may want to check out Career Bridge. They help find you jobs, depending on your qualifications.

Ed de Vries
said

This is maybe true but it also applies to other Canadian groups. When you reach the age of 50 you become a throw away commodity. I have been trying for 2 years with an excellent resume to get into the job market but I am over 50 , male and white. Guess what? You are right, forget. let the government pay you.

So if minorities are being discriminated against we should add the over 50, male and white to this group. i have brought this to the politicians attention but if they do not like what you say they simply do not answer and hope it goes away. Why do we do what we Canadians do best and simply re-elect the same bunch again and again so nothing will continue to be done.

Shamaro
said

It is true that immigrants have a very difficult time seeking employment in Canada, many of them who do come here come here for a purpose and that is to better the lives of themselves and their families. I have many, many friends who are immigrants, my wife immigrated from Guyana 16yrs ago and none of them have ever welched off of the welfare system nor the unemployment system, so to make statements that immigrants are living off of our welfare system is just wrong! Secondly, people who are using the word "Racism" on this issue again is just wrong!! What is needed is a system that prepares new immigrants to Canada before they come here to be ready to adapt to the Canadian cultural landscape, languages etc. and to have them slightly educated on Canada long before they get on plane and have the false pretense that they are coming to the land of milk and honey.

Narin
said

As a matter of fact languages is a big barrier for immigrants to the job market. Requiring all new immigrants have to know already English or French before entering to Canada is not always the best solution because there is a risk to not fulfill other qualifications. Government should strengthen the education for the new immigrants.

Sheeraz Awan
said

I agree with Anne that this reflects institutional racism and I also agree with SRB that how can we let people in who do not speak English. I have worked in customer service for years and I meet lot of people who can only give instructions by their hands and by nodding their head. I am surprised that why doesn't this country recognizes credentials from countries like the UK. This country needs to change its behaviour if it wants to remain competitive.

Roy
said

I do a lot of hiring in my job, and immigrants do face many more hurdles than somebody from english-speaking, industrialized countries. Obviously language is one, however others include questionable college and university degrees, difficulty doing reference checks, the applicants lack of Canadian "workplace customs". When doing interviews it is often very difficult to get the information needed to make a sound decision. No easy answer I'm afraid.

Sunny
said

New immigrants faces barriers such as racism and even classism.

Their skills may not be recognized because a lack of Canadian experience...

Apparently, European immigrants were about as successful in the work force as Canadian-born people.

Immigrants will be making up the labour shortage and paying taxes towards a declining CCP package which will become 2 payers per retiree when they reach 65.

Tracey
said

As a country mostly made up of immigrants, many of whom did not speak English or French when they arrived, we are woefully ignorant of the requirements to enter our own country. You don't need to have a job set up, in fact that is actually very hard to arrange even if you are more qualified than a Canadian applicant. You do, under a certain status, need to have at least 6 months living expenses before you are allowed in so no they aren't spongeing off the welfare system when they first come here. If you sponsor someone you sign an agreement to support that person for a set period of time and if in that time they require social services you are obligated to pay it back so no there's no free ride for anyone. If you come in as a businessperson you have to give the government a set amount of your money which to be honest I'm not really sure what they do with it then or if you ever get it back so again no free ride there. I do agree that during the time most immigrants wait for permission to enter the country they should learn to speak either english or french but we really need to work on getting foreign credentials recognized whether it be through apprenticeship or upgrading courses after testing for competency levels. The majority of these people work their butts off to get here in order to make a better life for themselves. I don't see lines of people wanting to emmigrate to China or Vietnam or Iran from here so give them a break from the racism.

simon maillet
said

During the last Election campaign Harper promised to speed up the evaluation and acceptance of foreign credentials.

What has been done about this so far?

Was it not just a false promise to get votes?

Dean
said

I believe that people coming here should be able to speak one of our official languages fluently in order to work and be productive here. Immigration for the sake of maintaining population is foolish. Australia has it right. If they need your skills, they let you in.

Jeannie
said

My father certainly had to have a job here before we left Scotland in 1970, he had to come first then come back for us. Immigrants now are not the only ones having a hard time with employment. I am a single mother of a 17 year old and when he was 3 I went back to school obtained my grade 12 then two years ago I completed college and I still cannot find work, we are all suffering not just them and it is very frustrating.

Shahzad
said

I am a landed immigrant from South Asia, and I have to say, immigrants should stop adhering to the victim mentality. First generation immigrants must pay their dues for the next one to enjoy this great country. I did my part to assimilate and also travelled outside the MTV areas in search of work. I would like to think, I am doing fine.

FreakAlert
said

According to the banks, here, in Canada, immigration has to be increased to 400,000/year to sustain our economy and country. New money is created by each and every immigrant entering this country.

Tom
said

I thing you should have to be fluent in our language to be permitted to live here. There should be minimal education requirements also. Even if it is an Adult Basic Education, or high school equivalent. With out these two things, you stand no chance of making anything, and you will be a burden to our already over used social assistance program. If you cannot contribute to Canada, you should not be here.

Colin
said

As a Canadian Citizen with a British wife that I had to 'Sponsor' and guarantee before she could come to Canada I am appalled at the level of language efficiency of many immigrants. My wife's nursing qualifications from the UK were not recognised either. Being able to speak English or French should be mandatory for ALL newcomers to Canada.

SRB
said

Instead of making such a broad statement these studies should explain why. The fact that immigrants can come to this country without knowing the language, either english or french
is the biggest barrier to employment in my experience. A thorough knowledge of either language should be a requirement before being allowed to enter Canada. Call me naive but I always thought you had to have employment in this country prior to arriving. I guess everyone is a refugee these days.

Anne
said

This indicates that certain ethnic grops face institutional racism as many of them are economic immigrants who have attained tertiary level education.

Related Websites

Statistics Canada - Canadian immigrant labour market study

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