Future of work
A curated resource of recent research on trends shaping Canada's labour market.
This report examines the disconnect between immigrant and refugee youth’s high rates of academic success and the challenges they face when entering the workforce. These challenges include language barriers, academic streaming, lack of credential recognition, discrimination in the labour market and limited social capital. Despite high levels of educational attainment, immigrant and refugee youth in Canada tend to experience higher unemployment rates and are more likely to be found in low-skilled, low-wage work than their Canadian-born counterparts. The record-high job vacancies resulting from COVID-19 have only exacerbated this situation. Canada risks failing to adequately support this emerging talent pool to ensure that they fully contribute to the country’s future economic growth. The report provides several programmatic and policy recommendations to facilitate inclusion and long-term advancement.