Canadian immigration is vital for Canada’s future. With an aging population & low birth rate, the country must fill the labor market gaps & encourage labor force growth. Here are the benefits of immigration for Canadian sectors.
According to Statistics Canada, newcomers make significant contributions across different sectors of the Canadian economy. As of May 2021, immigrants aged 25-54 represented:
- Around 36% of individuals working in food services & accommodation
- About 38% of individuals working in the warehousing as well as the transportation sector
- Over 34% of people working in technical, scientific, & professional services
- About 20% of individuals employed in the construction sector
Moreover, immigrants have impacted numerous sectors, like healthcare, arts, culture, business, science, technology, & food service sectors.
Healthcare Sector
More than 1.6 million individuals work in the healthcare sector. Also, almost half a million of these workers are over the age of 55 & most of these people will be retiring in the next decade.
Moreover, there are recruiting challenges as well in Canada to find nurses, residential care staff, & home health care staff. Thus, there is an opportunity for newcomers to play an integral role in ensuring that enough people are employed in the healthcare sector.
Immigrants account for almost one out of every four healthcare sector workers. In Canada, immigrants make up:
- Registered nurses – 23%
- Pharmacists – 37%
- Physicians – 36%
- Dentists – 39%
- Nurse aides & associated professions – 35%
- Dental technologists & associated professions – 54%
Business Sector
Regarding the benefits of immigration for Canadian sectors, the business sector employs more than 12 million individuals. Around 2.7 million Canadians are self-employed & almost 800,000 of them have paid employees. Entrepreneurs are a vital part of the business sector & the economy as a whole. In addition, immigrant entrepreneurs play a significant role in Canada’s growing & prosperous economy.
Immigrants account for over 33% of all business owners with paid staff, creating local jobs in all sectors of the economy, like construction, professional services, retail, trade, & healthcare.
Moreover, there are more than 600,000 self-employed immigrants across Canada & around 260,000 of them have paid employees. Additionally, more than 47,000 immigrants work in senior management roles across the nation, including:
- Around 15,000 in communications, finance, & business service sectors
- Over 12,000 in broadcasting, trade, & other services
- More than 12,000 in transportation, construction, utilities, & production
The percentage of immigrant business owners, by sector, includes:
- 30% of Software Publishers
- 36% of Dentists’ Offices
- 50% of Restaurants
- 53% of Grocery Stores
- 56% of Truck Transportation
- 40% of Data Processing, Hosting & Services
- 51% of Computer System Designs & Services
Arts & Culture
Canada has a vibrant arts & culture sector. Moreover, immigrants play an integral role in the growth of this industry, as around 80,000 immigrants are working in professional & technical professions within arts & culture. For instance, one in four people employed as a craftsperson/ artisan in Canada is an immigrant.
Furthermore, over a quarter of fashion, theater, exhibit, & other creative designers are immigrants. Over 29% of independent artists, writers, & performers are also immigrants. Across Canada, around 3,000 businesses in this sector are owned by immigrants.
Science & Technology
Canada attracts talent worldwide & allows people to work in the Science & Technology sector. Well, there is a need for more workers in this sector & immigrants utilize that as an opportunity to make their mark. Notably, around 34% of individuals employed in scientific research & development services across the nation are foreign-born. Moreover, around 500,000 immigrants employed in Canada are trained in STEM fields.
Furthermore, immigrants also represent over 24% of the national workforce. However, they account for 39% of computer programmers, 50% of chemists, & 41% of engineers.
In addition, international students represent over 12% of students in Canada’s post-secondary education system. They account for 27% of all students enrolled in computer, mathematics, & information sciences programs. Many international students enrolled in STEM fields will stay & create their careers in Canada, enhancing the nation’s capacity for innovation.
Food Services
The last sector representing the benefits of immigration for Canadian sectors is the food sector. It is one of the top employers in the nation. There are around 1.16 million employees in the food sector.
However, in September 2019, this sector had around 67,000 vacant jobs. Moreover, one out of every four workers in the food & beverage sector are immigrants.
The food & beverage sector employed almost 11% of working immigrants who arrived in Canada between 2011 & 2016, thus making it a top employer of recent immigrants. Across Canada, immigrants comprise more than half of all business owners with paid staff in this sector.
Also, new immigrants are contributing & helping the sector grow. In 2016, more than 3,200 recent immigrants across the nation were owned by the Food/ beverage business.