Immigration is The New Year’s Wish for Growing Canada’s Labour Force
December 30, 2003
Analysis of the most recent Statistics Canada census reports by the Canadian Labour and Business Centre points to the growing importance of immigration to Canada’s labour force. The analysis found that were it not for immigration - several provinces and our two most populous cities would actually have suffered a drop in workforce population.
Nova Scotia had only a modest increase in its labour force between 1991 and 2001 – rising from 447,525 to 451,375, an increase of 3,850. However, net immigration to Nova Scotia over that decade was 4,770. Take away immigration, and that province’s workforce would have actually been in decline. Similar findings were evident for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Toronto and Montreal.
Immigration accounted for the following percentage of total labour force growth in the 1991-2001 period:
Nova Scotia: 124%
(This means that net immigration to Nova Scotia exceeded that province’s overall labour force growth)
Manitoba: 101%
Saskatchewan: 104%
Toronto: 132%
Montreal: 114%
The combination of an aging population and declining birth rates means that in some jurisdictions the available workforce is shrinking.
“We would predict that this trend will continue in 2004 and beyond. Other jurisdictions will likely be joining the ranks of those noted – where immigration is the difference between a growth or contraction in the workforce. Ontario, Vancouver and Ottawa would be the likely additions to this list,” said Shirley Seward, CEO of the Canadian Labour and Business Centre.
“Perhaps understanding how important immigration is to our economy will help us focus on the challenges being faced by today’s immigrants. Too often, these people are struggling to have their credentials recognized, to get the language training they need to prosper in Canada. Canada still attracts exceptional people to our shores – this country has so much to offer immigrants, but we could do a better job helping these people integrate into our economy. This data underlines just how important that task is many cities and provinces,” said Ms. Seward.
Contact person: Tim Woods (613-726-7527)