Recent Immigrants in Metropolitan Areas: Saskatoon—A Comparative Profile Based on the 2001 Census

Part D: Participation in the Economy

Participation in the labour market

Labour force participation lower among very recent immigrants

Very recent immigrants are generally not as active in the labour market as the Canadian-born. The difference in labour force participation between very recent immigrants and the Canadian-born is fifteen percentage points for women, and thirteen percentage points for men.

Labour force participation of immigrants who have been in Canada for a longer period of time is more like that of the Canadian-born. A pattern of adjustment and increasing involvement of immigrants in the Canadian labour market with longer stay is evident in all three age groups, for both men and women. Both men and women aged 45 to 64 years who landed in Canada during the 1986 to 1995 period have participation rates higher than earlier immigrants and the Canadian-born.

Note: Tables D-1 to D-7 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

Note: Tables D-1 to D-7 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

Figure D-1: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—15 to 64 years of age—labour force participation rates, by age and gender, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001

Note: Figures D-1 and D-2 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

Pattern of adjustment similar for most levels of education

Generally speaking, the higher the level of education the greater the proportion of people who participate in the labour market. This observation holds for the Canadian-born as well as for all three cohorts of immigrants, with only a few exceptions.

Note: Tables D-1 to D-7 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

For most education levels there is a common pattern of relatively low participation rates for very recent immigrants, and convergence to the rates of the Canadian-born with longer stay. However, there are some exceptions to this pattern. Women who immigrated during the 1986 to 1995 period and hold a post-secondary diploma or degree participate at a slightly higher rate than earlier immigrant women who landed before 1986.

Note: Tables D-1 to D-7 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

Figure D-2: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—15 to 64 years of age—labour force participation rates, by level of education and gender, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001

Note: Figures D-1 and D-2 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

Unemployment higher for recent immigrants

Recent immigrants are more likely to experience unemployment than earlier immigrants who have been in the country for over fifteen years. Earlier immigrants, both men and women, have lower unemployment rates than the Canadian-born. The unemployment rate declined for almost all groups of immigrants and the Canadian-born since 1996.

Note: Tables D-1 to D-7 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

Share of men and women with jobs higher with longer stay

Seven in ten Canadian-born women aged 15 to 64 are employed compared to one-half of very recent immigrant women. For men the difference is smaller—over three-quarters of Canadian-born men are employed in comparison to two-thirds of very recent immigrant men. These differences in employment rates reflect differences in labour force participation rates.

Among immigrants who landed before 1986, employment is generally more common than among more recent immigrants. With the exception of women 45 to 64 years of age who landed before 1986, earlier immigrants who have lived in the country for 15 years or more have employment rates comparable to or slightly higher than the Canadian-born

In 2001, the employment rate was several percentage points higher for women than five years earlier, while for men it was about the same. The largest gains were made by women 45 to 64 years old who immigrated less than 15 years before the census.

Note: Tables D-1 to D-7 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

Note: Tables D-1 to D-7 describe labour force participation, employment and unemployment in the week before the 2001 Census, May 6-12, 2001. A person is in the labour force if he/she is employed or unemployed (actively looking for work).

The jobs of recent immigrants

Part-time jobs more common for very recent immigrants

The proportion of employed immigrants who work part-time decreases as the length of stay in Canada increases. Women are twice as likely as men to work part time, whether they are immigrants or Canadian-born. Very recent immigrants in Saskatoon—both men and women—have seen a rise in part-time work compared to 1995. On the other hand, earlier immigrant and Canadian-born women have seen a decline in part-time work.

Note: Table D-8 does not include immigrants who landed in 2000 or 2001. Only persons who landed before 2000 are included among immigrants and very recent immigrants. Part-time employment is defined as having worked less than 30 hours per week during most of the weeks worked in the year 2000.

Many recent immigrants in health and science occupations

Employed recent immigrants are more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to work in health and science occupations, and in management and social occupations. More than one-quarter of very recent immigrants who have been in the country for up to five years are employed in health and science jobs compared to 14% of the Canadian-born. One-quarter of immigrants who landed during the 1986-1995 period are employed in sales and services occupations. In 2001, the distribution of occupations of very recent immigrants in Saskatoon is somewhat different from that of those who preceded them. The share of sales and services jobs is lower and employment in health and science occupations is somewhat higher.

Note: Job characteristics presented in Tables D-9 to D-12 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and are less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation categories are defined in the Glossary.

Figure D-3: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—employed 25 to 64 years of age—occupation groups, by gender, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)

Note: Job characteristics presented in Figures D-3 to D-6 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation groups are defined in the Glossary.

Many recent immigrants in hospitality and other services and the public sector

In Saskatoon, a much larger proportion of the jobs of recent immigrants aged 25 to 64 than of the Canadian-born of the same age are in the hospitality and other services sector. The Canadian-born, however, are more likely to work in the trade sector and in the construction and transportation sector. One-third of the Canadian-born and a slightly higher proportion of recent immigrants work in the public sector.

Note: Job characteristics presented in Tables D-9 to D-12 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation groups are defined in the Glossary.

Compared to 1996, a greater proportion of men have found employment in the business services sector, and very recent immigrant women in the public sector. Very recent immigrants—both men and women—have a smaller presence in the manufacturing sector.

Figure D-4: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—employed 25 to 64 years of age—industry sector by gender, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)

Note: Job characteristics presented in Figures D-3 to D-6 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation groups are defined in the Glossary.

Skill requirements of jobs of very recent immigrants higher

A larger share of recent immigrants—those who immigrated between 1986 and 2001—work in jobs that require a higher level of skills in comparison to the Canadian-born. Approximately one-third of Canadian-born men work in jobs that require a university education compared to 45% of very recent immigrant men and 40% of men who immigrated between 1986 and 1995. A similar trend is observed for women. Almost 40% of immigrant women who landed after 1985 are employed in jobs that require a university education compared to 30% of Canadian-born women. Fifteen percent of recent immigrants work in jobs that require no formal education compared to 9% of the Canadian-born.

Note: Job characteristics presented in Tables D-9 to D-12 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation groups are defined in the Glossary.

The information presented in Table D-11 does not directly indicate whether the skills of recent immigrants are fully or less than fully employed in the economy. To determine this, one has to compare the skill levels required for the jobs of employed recent immigrants and the Canadian-born with their level of education. This is done in Table D-12 for persons holding a university degree.

Figure D-5: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—employed 25 to 64 years of age—skill requirements of jobs, by gender, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)

Note: Job characteristics presented in Figures D-3 to D-6 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation groups are defined in the Glossary.

Skills of university graduates utilized

Recent immigrants with a university degree are as likely to work in jobs that require a university education as the Canadian-born with similar educational qualifications. A slightly higher proportion of earlier immigrants—who landed before 1986—work in jobs that utilize their education in comparison to the Canadian-born with a university degree. Sixty-two percent of recent immigrant women with a university degree and almost 70% of earlier immigrant women with a university degree work in a job requiring a university education compared to two-thirds of Canadian-born women with a university degree. Approximately 70% of recent immigrant men with a university degree have a job requiring a university education in comparison to 73% of Canadian-born men with a university degree. Seventy-seven percent of earlier immigrant men with a university degree are employed in jobs requiring a university education.

Note: Job characteristics presented in Tables D-9 to D-12 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation groups are defined in the Glossary.

Figure D-6: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—25 to 64 years of age—percentage of employed university graduates with jobs requiring university education, by gender, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001

Note: Job characteristics presented in Figures D-3 to D-6 relate to jobs held at the time of the census or the job of longest duration from January 2000 to May 15, 2001. The information pertains to persons 25 to 64 years of age. Younger people are not included here since many of them are still in school, and their jobs tend to be short-term and part-time and less likely to be related to their education and career choices than the jobs of older adults. Occupation groups are defined in the Glossary.

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