Maple News reports that immigrant women in Canada are making strides toward narrowing the gender wage gap, according to new data published by Statistics Canada. The comprehensive study compares hourly earnings based on gender, immigration status, age, and pay distribution, revealing notable improvements over the past 15 years.
The gender wage gap (GWG) measures the earnings difference between men and women in similar roles. Traditionally, immigrant women have faced wider wage gaps than Canadian-born women. However, between 2007 and 2022, the GWG for immigrant women who arrived in Canada as children decreased from 14.7% to 10.5%. Those who immigrated as adults saw their wage gap narrow from 27.4% to 20.9% over the same period.
For Canadian-born women, the GWG also shrank—from 15% in 2007 to 9.2% in 2022—suggesting broader national progress toward pay equity. Interestingly, immigrant men have almost closed the pay gap with Canadian-born men entirely, highlighting an area of relative parity.
The study breaks down earnings by income distribution, revealing that immigrant women in lower-income jobs have seen the most improvement. Immigrant women who arrived as adults and worked in the lower end of the wage scale experienced a sharp drop in the wage gap—from 20.0% in 2007 to 6.3% in 2022. Those in higher-paying positions, however, saw little to no change, with the GWG remaining around 20.1%.
For immigrant women who arrived during childhood and landed in top-earning roles, the gap currently stands at 11.3%. This suggests that although early immigration offers a long-term advantage in wage equality, barriers persist in higher income brackets.
Age also plays a key role. Among immigrant women aged 25 to 29 who landed as adults, the wage gap fell dramatically from 30.5% in 2007 to just 12.0% in 2022. These findings suggest that younger immigrant women may be benefiting more from improved access to education, Canadian work experience, and upward mobility.
Overall, while the gender wage gap remains a persistent challenge, particularly for high-earning immigrant women, the trend across most demographics is moving in a positive direction. These insights are vital for policymakers and employers striving to create more equitable workplaces in Canada’s increasingly diverse labor force.