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Immigrant Economic and Social Outcomes in Canada: Research and Data Development at Statistics Canada

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  • Picot, Garnett

Abstract

The past 25 years has seen a more or less continuous deterioration in the economic outcomes for immigrants entering Canada. However, economic outcomes for second-generation Canadians (children of immigrants) are more positive, and in spite of the economic difficulties, after four years in Canada most immigrants entering in 2000 remained positive regarding their immigration decision, citing the freedom, safety, rights, security and prospects for the future as the aspects they appreciate most in Canada. This paper reviews what we know about the economic deterioration, and the possible reasons behind it, in particular based on the research conducted at Statistics Canada. It also outlines the data development undertaken by Statistics Canada and its policy department partners to support increased research of this topic. From 2002 to 2008, Statistics Canada released 64 research articles on the above topics, and others related to immigration. The research suggests that through the 1980s and 1990s three factors were associated with the deterioration in economic outcomes: (1) the changing mix of source regions and related issues such as language and school quality, (2) declining returns to foreign experience, and (3) the deterioration in economic outcomes for all new labour market entrants, of which immigrants are a special case. After 2000, the reasons appear to be different, and are associated more with the dramatic increase in the number of engineers and information technology (IT) workers entering Canada, and the IT economic downturn. Data also suggest that, by and large, Canadians continue to see immigration as an important part of the development of Canada and that they continue to support it. The paper reviews Statistics Canada research that indicates that economic outcomes for most second-generation Canadians remain very positive. Finally, there is a discussion of the interaction between immigration and social cohesion in Canada, and possible reasons as to why we have not seen the discontent with immigration policy in Canada that has been observed in some European countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Picot, Garnett, 2008. "Immigrant Economic and Social Outcomes in Canada: Research and Data Development at Statistics Canada," Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series 2008319e, Statistics Canada, Analytical Studies Branch.
    • Handle: RePEc:stc:stcp3e:2008319e
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    File URL: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/11F0019M2008319
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    File URL: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/11F0019M2008319
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Liliana Perez & Suzana Dragicevic & Jonathan Gaudreau, 2019. "A geospatial agent-based model of the spatial urban dynamics of immigrant population: A study of the island of Montreal, Canada," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(7), pages 1-23, July.
    2. Stephen Childs & Ross Finnie & Richard E. Mueller, 2017. "Why Do So Many Children of Immigrants Attend University? Evidence for Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 1-28, February.
    3. Don Drummond & Evan Capeluck & Matthew Calver, 2015. "The Key Challenge for Canadian Public Policy: Generating Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth," CSLS Research Reports 2015-11, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    4. Maude BOULET & Brahim BOUDARBAT, 2015. "The Economic Performance of Immigrants with Canadian Education," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 15(2), pages 23-40.
    5. Hou, Feng & Picot, Garnett, 2009. "Seeking Success in Canada and the United States: the Determinants of Labour Market Outcomes Among the Children of Immigrants," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2009-63, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 28 Nov 2009.
    6. Hou, Feng & Picot, Garnett, 2010. "Preparing for Success in Canada and the United States: the Determinants of Educational Attainment Among the Children of Immigrants," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2010-13, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 30 Apr 2010.
    7. Patrick, Grady, 2016. "How are the Children of Visible Minority Immigrants Doing? An Update Based on the National Household Survey," MPRA Paper 71707, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Grady, Patrick, 2009. "The impact of immigration on Canada’s labour market," MPRA Paper 25148, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Brahim Boudarbat, 2011. "Labour market integration of immigrants in Quebec: a comparison with Ontario and British Columbia," CIRANO Project Reports 2011rp-09, CIRANO.
    10. Antoine Bilodeau, 2016. "Migrating Gender Inequalities? Immigrant Women's Participation in Political Survey Research," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(4), pages 951-976, December.
    11. Sébastien Breau, 2010. "Low-Income-Country Import Competition and the Structure of Earnings Inequality in Canada, 1996–2001," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(8), pages 1964-1986, August.
    12. Laura Monteiro & Michael Haan, 2022. "The Life Satisfaction of Immigrants in Canada: Does Time Since Arrival Matter more than Income?," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1397-1420, September.
    13. Alain Bélanger & Samuel Vézina & Jennifer Van Hook & Patrick Sabourin & Guillaume Marois, 2019. "A framework for the prospective analysis of ethno-cultural super-diversity," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(11), pages 293-330.
    14. Alexander Murray & Andrew Sharpe, 2011. "Human Capital and Productivity in British Columbia," CSLS Research Reports 2011-10, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    15. Romana Pasca & Shannon Wagner, 2012. "Occupational Stress, Mental Health and Satisfaction in the Canadian Multicultural Workplace," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 377-393, December.
    16. Grady, Patrick, 2011. "How are the Children of Visible Minority Immigrants Doing in the Canadian Labour Market?," MPRA Paper 28503, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Picot, Garnett & Sweetman, Arthur, 2011. "Canadian Immigration Policy and Immigrant Economic Outcomes: Why the Differences in Outcomes between Sweden and Canada?," IZA Policy Papers 25, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Grubel, Herbert & Grady, Patrick, 2011. "Immigration and the Canadian Welfare State 2011," MPRA Paper 31109, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    Keywords

    Ethnic diversity and immigration;

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