We're doing a lot of business in Canada these days and are
struck by the diversity of its workforce. Can you explain the
increase of the immigrant population in Canada's labour force
and why it matters to employers?
In the last decade, over 80% of the growth in Canada's
labour force came from immigration. During the same period, a
decreasing percentage are immigrating from Europe, and an
increasing share are immigrating from India, the Philippines,
China, countries in Africa, and the Middle East.
By late 2020, the share of immigrants participating in the
labour force surpassed that of the Canadian-born population.
Why does this matter to employers?
While the U.S. is viewed as a "melting pot," Canada is
more of a mosaic, in that rather than assimilate, we see a strong
community-based presence of cultural groups that retain distinct
traditions and perspectives reflecting their heritage from
generation to generation.
