Equitable Employment for Immigrants – A Win-Win for All

Immigration already accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s labour force growth. 5 million Canadians are set to retire by the end of the decade. One way to fill these gaps is to promote the hiring of newcomers.

Creating pathways for equal and accessible employment for all new Canadians will help:

• increase GDP
• fill critical workforce talent gaps
• enable Canada’s economy to remain prosperous and competitive

Our research indicates that many employers are open to the idea of hiring newcomers. Even so, employers face challenges including:

• systemic bias in their hiring processes
• lack of understanding how to connect with newcomer talent pools
• Confusion around immigrant employment regulations
• varying levels of understanding regarding intercultural intelligence

Along with pressures of settling including housing, healthcare, and getting connected with cultural supports, newcomers face difficulties gaining fair employment. Some of the employment barriers newcomers face include:

• lower employment rates vs those born in Canada with the same level of education
• underemployment due to lack of experience and difficult process gaining Canadian credentials
• limited local professional references

A collective effort is needed to better support employers and newcomers to work together to achieve better employment outcomes that benefit all.

Learn more in our latest brief Equitable Employment for Immigrants – A Win-Win For All