Future of work
A curated resource of recent research on trends shaping Canada's labour market.
Despite disruptions to migration levels throughout the pandemic, Canada surpassed annual immigration targets that were decided upon before the onset of COVID-19.
Like many major immigrant-receiving countries, Canada continues to rely heavily on increased immigration levels to bolster economic recovery post pandemic.
First introduced in 2015, the Express Entry system (EE), is the portal through which most economic migration occurs in Canada. According to migration research experts, however, gaps remain when utilizing EE to address the needs of the labour market. The emphasis has long been on “skilled immigration” where EE restricts eligibility based on skill level.
However, labour needs persist in other sectors, including those the paper defines as “mid-skill” or “lower-skill” occupations. This presents as higher vacancy levels in the skilled trades, personal support work, early childhood education and engineering, placing the economy at a disadvantage, especially in times of crisis where such occupations are essential.
To enable a more responsive migration model, additional coordination is needed between policy makers, labour unions and occupational regulatory bodies.