Maple News reports that immigrants arriving in Canada through the Express Entry system between 2015 and 2018 experienced notably strong performance in the labour market, according to a newly released evaluation by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The study highlights that nearly all Express Entry immigrants – 95% – gained employment within their first year, easily outperforming those who immigrated through the older paper-based application system, who had an employment rate of 87% in the same period.
The IRCC report compares economic outcomes between immigrants entering through the electronic Express Entry system and those who came via traditional routes. All individuals in the evaluation applied under one of several economic-class immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or an enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Express Entry’s design aims to select candidates most likely to contribute economically over the long term. And in the short-to-medium term, the outcomes were already promising. Not only did Express Entry immigrants show higher labour market participation, but over 83% of them also gained employment in fields aligned with their qualifications and experience — suggesting successful workforce integration.
Detailed findings reveal that Express Entry applicants from both the FSWP and CEC programs had the highest employment rates across all measured groups. Moreover, newcomers through the Express Entry system were more likely to work in positions requiring higher skill levels compared to their non-Express Entry peers.
One of the most striking highlights involves salary. On average, Express Entry immigrants earned 20% more annually than non-Express Entry immigrants one year after landing. Even more notably, Express Entry participants also earned, on average, $10,200 more than Canadian-born workers.
However, the report found some nuanced exceptions. Non-Express Entry immigrants in the CEC and FSTP streams had slightly higher average salaries than their Express Entry counterparts. IRCC attributes these differences to various factors, including differences in occupation, age, education, and gender.
These findings reinforce the effectiveness of Express Entry as Canada’s flagship economic immigration system and bolster its role in supporting national workforce needs. As Canada continues to adapt its immigration policy to align with labour market demands and demographic shifts, early outcomes like these provide valuable insights for future planning.