Maple News reports that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the employment landscape for immigrants in Canada was steadily improving. A comprehensive Statistics Canada study covering the years 2000 to 2019 revealed narrowing employment gaps between immigrants and Canadian-born workers across several indicators.
The analysis tracked employment rates and weekly wages of individuals aged 25 to 54 and found that immigrant men, particularly those in Canada for less than a decade, were securing employment at faster rates than their Canadian-born counterparts. Similarly, newly arrived immigrant women (in Canada for fewer than five years) saw modest employment gains during the same period.
Earnings, however, told a more complex story. For both immigrant men and women, the wage gap compared to Canadian-born workers widened between 2000 and 2015, even when comparing individuals with similar education and job experience. The situation began to improve somewhat after 2015, likely due to a stronger economy and increased demand for labour.
The study pointed to several policy and structural changes that contributed to these positive outcomes for immigrants. Canada’s evolving immigration strategies—particularly its growing emphasis on selecting candidates with Canadian experience, strong language skills, and higher education—played a major role. Enhanced settlement support and more regionally responsive immigration programs also helped new immigrants integrate more effectively into the workforce.
Furthermore, the shift towards a “two-step” immigration process—whereby more immigrants are selected from the pool of temporary foreign workers—was highlighted as one of the most significant contributors to improved labour market outcomes. Immigrants with Canadian work experience prior to obtaining permanent residence tended to perform better than those selected directly from abroad.
Nonetheless, not all progress was equal. Long-standing immigrant women, specifically those in the country for more than 10 years, continued to lag behind in earnings compared to Canadian-born peers, even as employment rates for long-term immigrant men saw some improvement.
Improvements in immigrant outcomes were seen to be more vulnerable to economic fluctuations. Immigrant workers’ employment rates and wages are typically more responsive to both downturns and recoveries in the economy than those of native-born Canadians, further underscoring the importance of sustained policy support.
Overall, the period before the pandemic painted a picture of cautious optimism in the evolving story of economic integration for immigrants in Canada. The data suggests that thoughtful immigration policies and economic momentum can significantly enhance opportunities for newcomers, though persistent gender and long-term integration gaps remain challenges for policymakers moving forward.