Immigrants face higher unemployment!!

Immigrants face higher unemployment
TheStar.com - GTA - Immigrants face higher unemployment

May 14, 2008
Lesley Ciarula Taylor
Immigration Reporter

A chorus of voices are demanding the government help immigrants "hit the ground running" after a comprehensive new study showed the gap in unemployment between newcomers and Canadian-born workers is getting worse.

Statistics Canada yesterday reported a rising tide in employment in 2007 has failed to carry recent immigrants with it. And the picture is worse in 2007 than in 2006, particularly in the GTA.

Employment among all working-age immigrants rose slightly across Canada, thanks to a boom in employment for immigrants in Quebec and Alberta and stronger results for established immigrants.

In Ontario the unemployment rate for immigrants rose slightly to 6.8 per cent in 2007 while the rate for Canadian-born workers stayed the same at 4.4 per cent. For immigrants who've arrived in Ontario in the past five years, the rate is 11.9 per cent; in Toronto it's 12.7.

StatsCan said immigrants found their jobs in trucking and urban transit – buses, taxis – hotels, and restaurants. Canadian-born workers found more white-collar jobs in public administration, professional, scientific and technical services, finance, insurance and real estate.

Ratna Omidvar, executive director of The Maytree Foundation, which looks to help the poor and immigrants, says "Immigrants are being streamed into service industry jobs with few benefits. They're taking whatever jobs they can get."

Her solution? Ditch Canada's antiquated paper system of dealing with prospective immigrants and create a qualifications database for employers and immigrants.

Pilot programs at consulates in Manila, New Delhi and China are starting to do this, said Elizabeth McIsaac of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council. "It needs to be available to all. Governments need to help immigrants hit the ground running."