Changing Landscapes: Recent Immigrants Living in York Region

» In 2006, recent immigrants aged 25 to 64 had
an unemployment rate of 8.2 per cent.
This is lower than the unemployment rate for
recent immigrants aged 25 to 64 who lived
in York Region in 2001, which was 9.5 per cent.
Unemployment Rate
DID YOU KNOW?
As of 2009, over 490,000 jobs were offered by approximately 30,000 businesses
across York Region. by 2031, 780,000 jobs will support an estimated population of 1.5
million people in York Region. York Region’s Aging Workforce Study (2011), identifies
the potential for future labour shortages because of the aging population. The study
suggests this gap can be bridged by the existing workforce who is highly qualified and
experienced, and wish to work beyond traditional retirement age, and the educated,
working-age immigrants - which York Region tends to attract.
Sources: Regional Municipality of York, Economic and Development Review 2009, and Aging Workforce Study Final Report, 2011.
Figure 13: Unemployment Rate of Recent Immigrant
Population Aged 25 to 64, Ontario and
GTA Municipalities, 2006
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
11.0%
8.2%
11.6%
10.4%
Ontario and GTA Municipality
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census, Custom Tabulations.
8.0%
9.1%
Ontario York Toronto Peel Halton Durham
» Recent immigrants with a bachelor’s degree
or higher had unemployment rates that were
three times higher than their non-immigrant
counterparts with a bachelor’s degree or higher
(8.2 per cent vs. 2.7 per cent).
» In 2006, York Region together with Halton
had the lowest unemployment rate for recent
immigrants aged 25 to 64 in the Greater
Toronto Area.
“The continued under-employment of
newcomers remains a serious barrier to
their successful transition to a new life.
This is not an ‘immigrants’ problem; it is
a Canadian societal problem.”
Source: An Immigration Strategy: The Municipal Perspective, 2010.
Changing Landscapes: Recent Immigrants Living in York Region
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