Immigrants More Affected By Recession

Canada, like most other countries, is going through a recession. And as jobs are being cut across the board, among those first to be affected are those with immigrant background, particularly those who are considered ‘new immigrants’.

Recent studies have given proof to this. A report that appeared in the Globe and Mail newspaper says that in general, immigrants tend to lose jobs more easily than Canadian-born workers. And within the immigrants group, those who came to Canada recently can lose jobs faster than those who are more established.

The newspaper and Statistics Canada analysed unemployed data during two, three-month periods – ending June 2008 and June 2009. They found out that while unemployment among Canadian-born workers rose by 1.6 percent, it rose by three percent for established immigrants and 5.7 percent for recent immigrants.

And worse still, studies have found that even when the recession is over and the economy is bouncing back, immigrants find it difficult to find jobs that fit their experiences and qualifications.