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| Subject: Vancouver- tough job market |
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Vancouver the toughest job market for immigrants
Norma Greenaway
Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
OTTAWA -- Vancouver and Montreal are the toughest of Canada´s major cities for new immigrants to get jobs, while Calgary is the easiest, says a new report.
The Statistics Canada analysis, which looked at immigrants aged 25 to 44 years, singled out the booming Alberta city as having the best record for providing employment to newcomers.
It also found immigrants to Vancouver, followed by Montreal, faced a tougher slog getting jobs than their counterparts in other major cities; the area of Ottawa-Gatineau had the highest proportion of university-educated immigrants in the country; and immigrants to Atlantic Canada were the most likely to work in their intended occupation.
The study, released Tuesday, is based on an analysis of the job scene for the 106,600 prime working-age immigrants who arrived between October 2000 and September 2001.
A representative group was interviewed six months after arrival, and again two years after their arrival.
It excluded immigrants under the age of 25 and older than 45 to eliminate the effects of the student population, people who entered the workforce late in life, and retirees.
Though Calgary was the fourth most popular destination for immigrants, behind Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, its healthy economy and low jobless rate made it fertile ground for job seekers.
After being in the country for six months, newcomers living in Calgary had an employment rate of 62 per cent. Though it was the highest employment rate of all major urban areas, it was 23 percentage points below the city´s overall employment rate of 85 per cent.
The employment rate for immigrants climbed, however, to 71 per cent after one year, and stood at 70 per cent after two years.
The rate who had worked in Montreal after two years was 65 per cent. The rate was 61 per cent in Vancouver.
Among those immigrants who worked, 44 per cent found jobs in their intended occupations.
This compares to the top rate of almost 60 per cent of immigrants who found jobs in their intended field in Atlantic Canada.
The Ottawa-Gatineau region was a distant second to Toronto for the most popular destination for immigrants to Ontario.
Among the 4,000 prime working-age immigrants, 74 per cent had a university education, compared to the national average of 68 per cent.
Newcomers did not enjoy the healthy employment rate of non-immigrant residents of Ottawa.
Their employment rate after one year was 56 per cent, down 26 percentage points from the overall employment rate of 82 per cent. The gap between the immigrant rate and the region´s overall rate narrowed to 23 percentage points after two years.
? The Vancouver Sun 2006
[01-02-2006,14:07]
[***.20.170.23]
Sharon |
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(in reply to: Vancouver- tough job market)
Interesting piece of information. I know the job market has many variables to it. 1) Education 2) Experience 3)The so called "hot jobs" etc . I have some lingering doubts about this article. Did this analysis only look into newcomers who have had an education and previous job experience in North America?
I have always wondered what the job market would be like for a potential immigrant who had advanced degrees from an accredited university in Canada or the USA? Do they stand a better chance? Apart from a possible long list of degrees, I know "fit factors" also play a role during an interview, they way you speak, common interests etc.
It would be good if someone came out with a poll on jobs for newcomers who stood on an equal footing with the natives.
[01-02-2006,21:59]
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IM |
(in reply to: Vancouver- tough job market)
yes it would. the sample size was very large and your questions are very valid.
[02-02-2006,01:23]
[***.20.170.23]
Sharon |
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