Immigrant Economic and Social Integration in Canada: Research, Measurement, Data Development

1
Immigrant Economic and Social Integration in
Canada Research, Measurement, Data Development

• By
• Garnett Picot
• Director General
• Analysis Branch
• Statistics Canada

2
Introduction

• Integration a major policy issue
• 20 foreign born, 47 in Toronto
• Visible minority neighbourhood in three largest
  cities six in 1981 254 in 2001
• Immigration at high levels, likely to remain so
  or increase
• Deterioration in economic outcomes of immigrants
• Statistics Canada responded to need for
  policy-relevant analysis
• Research on social and economic outcomes
• Development of new data sets
• Adding new variables to existing data sets
• 64 research articles in past six years

3
Deteriorating earnings outcomes
Earnings of immigrants compared with those of
comparable Canadian-born - Log earnings ratio
- Full-time, full-year workers aged from 16 to
64, males
Source Census of Population
Predicted values based on a model
The ln (immigrant earnings/Canadian-born earnings)
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Why the decline in entry earnings among immigrants

• Research in Canada has focuses on entry earnings
  decline
• Changing source regions
• Deteriorating labour market outcomes for new
  labour market entrants in general
• Credentialism issue important, but perhaps not
  explanation for the decline?
• Declining returns to foreign work experience
• Since 2000, poorer labour market for IT
  professionals and engineers, in which immigrants
  are highly concentrated

5
Changes in selection system had significant
effect on characteristics of entering immigrants

• with in skilled of skilled
  principle
• Entering university economic applicants in
  IT/
• cohort degree class
  engineering occupations
• 1991 17.7 33.0 5.2
• 2000 44.0 52.1 42.9
• 2005 45.8 49.7 30.6
• Resulted in improvement in economic outcomes at
  top of immigrant earnings distribution did
  little to improve low-income rate, chronic
  poverty
• Deterioration post 2000 concentrated among highly
  educated in skilled economic class (IT/engineer)
  difficulty integrating these workers

6
Outcomes for second generation Canadians The
children of immigrants

• Economic outcomes remain quite positive
• Educational attainment equal or better than among
  Canadian-born youth
• Rates of employment/unemployment and reliance on
  government transfers similar to Canadian-born
• Earnings equal to or higher than Canadian-born

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Entering immigrants perspective on life in Canada

• Longitudinal survey of immigrants
• 2000 entering immigrant cohort
• Tracked for four years, 12,000 respondents
• Some dissatisfaction with economic experiences
  lack of employment opportunities one of aspects
  disliked the most
• But 84 to 92 indicated quality of life better
• Freedom, rights, safety security and prospects
  for future liked the best
• Material well-being better than before?
• Economic class ? better, ? same, ? worse
  family class 58 better
• Three quarters would come to Canada if had to
  make decision again
• 70 of immigrants initiated citizenship process
  after four years, additional 22 intend to
• About two-thirds of Canadian report positive
  outlook towards immigration

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Data sources and data development

• Census of population remains most important
  source for immigration research
• Advantages
• Sample size entering cohorts, detail on
  variation in outcomes by source country,
  education, city, ethnic group, occupation, etc.
• Analysis of neighbourhood effects possible
• Disadvantages
• No language ability measure although language
  variables
• No data on immigrant entry class economic,
  family class, refugee

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Other data sources used in immigrant analysis

• Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics
• Adult Literary Survey
• National Population Health Survey
• National Longitudinal Survey of Children and
  Youth
• Data development to enhance ability to conduct
  analysis
• Joint with policy department partners
• Immigrant Data Base
• Longitudinal taxation records
• To assess earnings trajectories of entering
  immigrants in different entry classes
• No comparison groups

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• Longitudinal Administrative Data Base
• 20 sample of tax filers
• Population coverage in high 90s among working age
  population
• Taxation data, formed families
• For entering cohorts 1980 to 2004, focus on
• Chronic low-income
• Earnings gap at entry and trajectory
• Use of welfare programs
• Out migration of entering immigrants

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• Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants
• 2000 entering cohort, track for four years
• True panel survey
• No comparison group
• Information on housing, education, foreign
  credential recognition, employment, health,
  values, social networks, perceptions of
  settlement in Canada
• 12,000 sample
• Ethnic Diversity Survey
• Uses 2001 Census as sample frame
• 57,000 sample size, cross-sectional
• Information on ethnic origin, religion, language,
  family background, social network, civic
  participation, attributes, trust, etc.
• Added immigrant identifies to labour force survey
  in 2007

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Effect of immigration on social cohesion in Canada

• Important topic in many countries
• No research at Statistics Canada, but can
  speculate as to why not a major issue to date
• Possible reasons
• Canada has never pursued or developed a single
  national identify. At inception in 1867, two
  founding peoples (French and English).
• Canada is a nation of immigrants, and seen to be
  so by population. Canadians take pride in ability
  to welcome newcomers.
• Immigrants very highly educated, generally
  ambitious, seek best for their children.

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• All political parties agree immigration essential
  to future economic youth, generally accepted by
  population.
• Political and civic engagement of visible
  minorities significant
• Immigration is racially very diverse no single
  groups on which discontent can focus
• No illegal immigrant problem on which to focus

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Conclusion

• Statistics Canadas response to concerns re
  immigration integration guided by priorities in
  place
• Substantive research and analysis is important
• Co-operation with policy departments a priority
• Links with academic community important
• Statistics Canada has comparative advantage re
  analysis in some areas