New immigrants closing the gap with Canadians in job acquisition

The employment rate of newcomers to Canada is catching up to that of Canadian-born workers. Between November 2010 and November 2022, the employment rate for new immigrants increased by 12.7%, compared to a 4.2% increase for Canadian workers. The most recent Labor Force Survey shows that the smallest employment rate gap between the two groups occurred in December 2021, with newcomers achieving a 79.6% employment rate, while Canadian-born workers had an 85.8% rate. Currently, the employment rate for newcomers is 76.3%, compared to 85.9% for Canadians. This reflects a significantly reduced gap compared to past years. For instance, in 2006, the employment rate gap between the two demographics was nearly 17%. Factors contributing to this include expanding the two-step immigration process, changes to Canada’s immigration selection process, and a strong Canadian labour market. The employment rate increases the longer an immigrant has been in Canada. Employment rates were the highest since 2019 for those who had been in Canada between 5-10 years and for at least ten years.