08 Aug Canada will not lower the immigration levels despite the housing issue
Canada will not lower the immigration levels despite the housing issue
Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has stated that the country will not be lowering its annual immigration targets of around 500,000 permanent residents due to the decreasing number of working-age people compared to retirees. While some countries have divisive views on immigration, Canada has relied on public support to open its doors to working-age newcomers. Miller’s comments suggest that the government is counting on that backing to grow its population and avoid long-term economic decline. However, last year’s record one million arrivals have strained major urban centers and exacerbated housing shortages. Despite this, Miller believes that immigrants are not the primary cause of the housing crisis and that skilled labour is essential for providing Canadians with dental care, health care, and affordable housing.
Marc_Millier, #housing, #Miller, #housing, #housing_shortage
New immigrants find jobs more easily than before the pandemic
Newly arrived immigrants are having more difficulty finding jobs in Canada this year compared to 2022. However, their employment prospects are still better than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for July 2023. The employment rate of recent core-aged immigrants (those who became landed immigrants in the previous five years) was 77.7%, down from 80% in July 2022. Meanwhile, employment rates for older immigrants have remained steady. Although there was a year-over-year decline, the employment rate of recent core-aged immigrants in July 2023 remained higher than before the pandemic. Across Canada, the employment rate remained unchanged, and the unemployment rate only increased slightly to 5.5%. This is due to population growth outpacing employment growth from January to July 2023.
Statistics_Canada, #statistics, #labour_force_survey, #employment
A recent report has uncovered incidents of racism toward IRCC employees
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released a report on racism in the department. According to the IRCC 2022-23 Anti-Racism Employee Qualitative Research, 63% of employees rated racism as a problem. Racism is more prevalent in foreign postings than in local offices. Participants reported incidents of managers mocking accents, not understanding, ignoring Locally Engaged Staff, and avoiding removing problematic employees. The study was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights and surveyed 62 employees through online focus groups and interviews. The participants included indigenous, black, non-black, racialized, and white employees. The report shows the need for strong intervention in the future.