The Immigration Paradox: How an Influx of Newcomers Has Led to Labour Shortages
Study in Brief This study investigates the effects of Canada’s expansive immigration policy, implemented between 2016 and 2024, on labour shortages. It explores how the influx of permanent and temporary immigrants has affected the balance between labour supply and demand, with attention to whether the policy has met one of its key objectives – alleviating […] Please Stabilize the Automatic Stabilizer, Employment Insurance
From: Jennifer RobsonTo: The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and LabourDate: February 13, 2025Re: Please stabilize the automatic stabilizer, Employment Insurance At the time of writing, outside of steel and aluminium, Canada may have some temporary reprieve from the threat of Donald Trump’s tariffs. But that could all change before this even goes to print. […] The Growing Data Gap on Canada’s Temporary Resident Workforce
Study in Brief Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) underestimates the rapidly growing non-permanent resident (NPR) population. This undercount potentially distorts important economic indicators, such as nominal wage growth and unemployment rates, because NPRs disproportionately influence these measures as a growing share of new labour market entrants. To address this data gap, this E-Brief recommends […] Beyond the Unemployment Rate
Although the year-over-year rise in the unemployment rate suggests a weakening Canadian labour market, the reality is that Canada has a dynamic and robust labour market characterized by extraordinary labour force growth and steady employment gains. Graph of the Week: Provincial Variations in Literacy Scores Among Educated Adults
Literacy is a critical determinant of economic and social outcomes, underpinning effective communication, problem-solving, and workforce adaptability. In Canada, there is significant provincial variation in average literacy scores among adults aged 16–65 with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Potential explanations include: quality of education, access to adult training, upskilling opportunities across provinces, and the composition […] Don Drummond and Parisa Mahboubi – Don’t panic about the unemployment rate
Published in the Financial Post. Statistics Canada announces the unemployment numbers for December on Friday. Media reporting last month on the release of November’s numbers painted a picture of economic distress, given the jump in the overall unemployment rate from 6.5 to 6.8 per cent. But the alarmed response missed critical developments in the underlying […] Harnessing Immigrant Talent: Reducing Overqualification and Strengthening the Immigration System
 University-educated immigrants, especially recent arrivals, face disproportionately high rates of overqualification for their jobs compared to non-immigrants. This issue persists across various immigrant groups, with family-class immigrants and refugees experiencing particularly high levels. Immigrants can end up in jobs not matching their education level because of barriers to foreign credential recognition, lack of Canadian […] Christopher Worswick – Let’s Grab a Labour Mobility Win from the Trump Trade Turbulence
From: Christopher Worswick To: Concerned Canadians Date: December 9, 2024 Re: Let’s Grab a Labour Mobility Win from the Trump Trade Turbulence Last month Donald Trump said he’d impose a 25-percent tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico. Next, he reportedly joked that, if Canada cannot bear the economic consequences of the tariff, then it should become America’s “51st state.” […] Public Sector Employment Balloons Compared to Private Sector
Between 2019 and 2023, Canada’s public sector employment grew at more than twice the rate of the private sector, increasing by 13 percent compared to just 5.9 percent. This shift added around half a million public sector jobs, with public administration as the largest contributor, raising the public sector’s share of total employment from 19.7 […] Christopher Worswick – High-Skill Migrants Should be Our Goal
From: Christopher Worswick To: Immigration observers Date: November 4, 2024 Re: High-Skill Migrants Should be Our Goal Late last month, Ottawa introduced major reductions in permanent-resident numbers and published population targets for temporary migrants for the first time. This policy pivot is a sensible response to the evolving immigration and macroeconomic situation in Canada. Given the dramatic increases […] Graph of the Week: Rising Unemployment Challenges Newcomers in a Changing Canadian Economy
During the 2010s, the unemployment rate gap between newcomers and Canadian-born individuals narrowed, largely due to changes in immigration policies, such as the introduction of the Express Entry system. This trend continued in 2021 and 2022 as labour market conditions tightened. However, newcomers and non-permanent residents are now experiencing a sharp rise in unemployment, bearing […] Brian Lewis – Doug Ford’s inaction has left Ontario’s most vulnerable without a fighting chance
Published in the Toronto Star
October 1 could have been a celebratory day for Ontarians concerned with the struggles of low-income residents. After all, it’s the day the minimum wage will nudge up – following behind inflation, sure – but up nonetheless. But if you’re living on Ontario Works, or what used to be called welfare, the date will carry a more bitter significance. It will have been a full six years since any increase in the amounts for basic needs and shelter.
In that time, inflation has worked its ugly powers and the price of everything has gone up. There has been a 20-per-cent hike in the cost of living for the typical Ontario family, hitting the basics like food and housing especially hard.
If you happen to…