Immigrants help grow Canada’s future. According to Statistics Canada, immigrants are making an important contribution across every sector of Canada’s economy. As of May 2021, immigrants aged 25 to 54 represented
- over 36% of people working in accommodation and food services
- nearly 38% of those working in the transportation and warehousing sector
- over 34% of those working in professional, scientific and technical services
- over 20% of those working in construction
Learn more about how they contribute to different sectors.
Immigration matters in healthcare
In order to maintain access to high-quality treatment, the healthcare industry in Canada employs more than 1.6 million people, and in the years to come, many more will be required. The majority of the almost 500,000 over-55 employees in the healthcare industry will be retiring during the next 10 to 15 years. Additionally, there are now difficulties in hiring nurses, home health care providers, and residential care professionals from all throughout Canada. Immigrants have a clear chance to contribute significantly to the goal of having a sufficient labor force in the healthcare industry.
The sustainability and effectiveness of the Canadian healthcare system depend on an integrated and diverse workforce. We value the important contribution of immigrants to our healthcare system and welcome them to Canada!
Claire Betker, RN, MN, PhD, CCHN(C), President of the Canadian Nurses Association
Impact of immigration
- Immigrants account for 1 out of every 4 health care sector workers.
- In Canada, immigrants make up
- 23% of registered nurses
- 35% of nurse aides and related occupations
- 37% of pharmacists
- 36% of physicians
- 39% of dentists
- 54% of dental technologists and related occupations
- More than 40% of newcomers to Canada between 2011 and 2016 who were working in the health care sector were employed in the important areas of nursing and residential care facilities, as well as home health care services.
All statistics are from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census.
Immigration matters in business
In Canada, the business sector employs about 12 million people. A vital component of both the Canadian economy overall and the business sector are entrepreneurs. Over 2.7 million Canadians work by themselves, and over 800,000 of them have paid staff.
From coast to coast, these business owners make sure that consumers have options and competition for goods and services in both big and small towns. Future-focused, immigrant entrepreneurs and company executives will be critical to maintaining our economy’s expansion and prosperity.
Economic immigration has always been the lifeblood of Canada’s economic success and has played a key role in the building of our great nation.
Dan Kelly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Impact of immigration
- Immigrants account for 33% of all business owners with paid staff, creating important local jobs in all sectors of our economy such as construction, professional services, health care and retail trade.
- There are more than 600,000 self-employed immigrants across the country, and over 260,000 of them have paid employees.
- There are more than 47,000 immigrants in senior management roles across the country, including:
- over 15,000 in finance, communications and business services sectors
- 12,000 in trade, broadcasting and other services, and
- more than 12,000 in construction, transportation, production and utilities
- The percentage of business owners (self-employed persons with paid staff) who are immigrants, by sector:
- Software publishers: 30%
- Dentists’ offices: 36%
- Data processing, hosting and services: 40%
- Restaurants: 50%
- Computer systems design and services: 51%
- Grocery stores: 53%
- Truck transportation: 56%
All statistics are from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census.
Immigration matters in sports
How we practice sports in Canada today is influenced by a number of factors, including our 4 seasons, and our geographic and social diversity. For example, lacrosse, our national summer sport, has been played by Indigenous peoples for close to 1000 years.
Hockey, our national winter sport, was invented in Canada in the 1800s. Basketball was invented by Canadian Dr. James Naismith in 1891 to condition young athletes during the winter. Our sport system allows people from all segments of Canadian society to get involved in sport activities at all levels and in all forms of participation.
Football – like citizenship – is the ultimate team game. It requires people of every size, strength, and skillset to work together as a team to achieve great things. [Canada’s] new citizens, and our players, are part of a proud history that has made our league and country stronger.
Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League
Impact of immigration
- There are more than 2,800 immigrants working as athletes, coaches, officials and referees across the country.
- Immigrants make up 20% of all people working in Canada as sports coaches.
- There are more than 16,000 immigrants who earn their living as program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness.
All statistics are from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census.
Immigration matters in science and technology
Because of its internationally recognized quality of life and post-secondary educational institutions, Canada attracts talent from around the world to help build the country’s economy and grow the science and technology sector. With an aging Canadian work force and the need for more technology workers, there’s an opportunity for immigrants to make their mark in the field.
Canada has an opportunity to be a country where the best talent from around the world can move here and do their life’s work as never before.
Alexandra Clark, Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer, Shopify
Impact of immigration
- 34% of people working in scientific research and development services across Canada are foreign-born.
- Nearly 500,000 immigrants working in Canada are trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
- Immigrants represent 24% of the national workforce but account for 39% of computer programmers, 41% of engineers and more than 50% of all chemists.
- International students represent 12% of students in the country’s post-secondary education system but account for 27% of all students enrolled in mathematics, computer and information sciences programs and 19% of all students in architecture, engineering and related programs.
- Many international students enrolled in STEM fields will stay and build their careers in Canada, enhancing our capacity for innovation and helping us build a stronger economy for the future.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census.
Immigration matters in arts and culture
Canada is home to a vibrant and lucrative arts and culture sector. Canadian artists, musicians, actors and authors are known around the world. Immigrants play an important role in helping this sector grow and flourish.
Let me express the hope that Canadians will always remember that immigrants have helped make us the envy of the world.
Peter Herrndorf, former President and Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Centre
We don’t all share the same backgrounds, but there are so many things we humans have in common throughout time and space in history: love, families, and the need to belong. Let’s spread empathy and solidarity.
Sophie Deraspe, award-winning Canadian filmmaker
Impact of immigration
- There are more than 80,000 immigrants working in professional and technical occupations in arts and culture across the country.
- 1 in 4 people employed as an artisan or craftsperson in Canada is an immigrant.
- Over a quarter of theater, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers are immigrants (26% of the total).
- 29% of independent artists, writers and performers are immigrants.
- Across the country, there are more than 3,000 businesses (defined as self-employed persons with paid employees) in the arts and culture sector owned by immigrants.
All statistics are from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census.
Immigration matters in food services
The food services sector is one of the top employers in Canada. There are 1.16 million employees in the sector, an increase of 9% since 2015. But restaurant and other food service businesses still need workers.
As of September 2019, more than 67,000 jobs were unfilled, more than any other main sector of the Canadian economy. In 2019, more than half of Restaurants Canada’s members had trouble finding workers for “back-of-house” jobs (Restaurants Canada, 2019 employer survey). Immigrants will remain an important source of workers for this industry in the years ahead.
Impact of immigration
- More than 1 out of every 4 workers in the food and beverage sector are immigrants.
- The food and beverage sector employed 11% of all working immigrants who arrived here between 2011 and 2016, making it the top employer of recent immigrants in Canada.
- Across the country, immigrants make up more than half (53%) of business owners with paid staff in the food and beverage sector.
- New immigrants are helping to grow the food services sector. In 2016, more than 3,200 recent immigrants across the country owned a food or beverage business.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census.
Immigration matters in philanthropy
The 2020 U.S. News and World Report ranked Canada #1 in the world for quality of life in 2019 and 2020. Our charities and non-profits play a crucial role supporting this high quality of life. Canada’s 170,000 registered charities and non-profits employ about 2 million people (Imagine Canada, 30 Years of Giving in Canada, 2018).
Thirteen million Canadian volunteers give their time and a portion of their income to support worthy causes in the charitable sector. Nearly 1 in 4 workers in social advocacy, civic, social and giving-related organizations is over 55 and will be retiring in the near future. Newcomers are an important source of workers to ensure the charitable sector continues to thrive across the country.
Impact of immigration
- More than 1 in 4 people employed in the social assistance sector were born outside of Canada, as were nearly 1 in 5 working in social advocacy, civic, social and giving-related organizations.
- Between 2006 and 2016 there was a 58% increase in the number of foreign-born social and community service workers.
- Newcomers are also giving back. On average, immigrants donate more to charity than Canadian-born citizens.
- When asked why they make financial donations, immigrants said the top 3 reasons were: compassion towards people in need; personally believing in the cause of the charity; and to make a contribution to the community.
- Hundreds of thousands of immigrants volunteer their time to charitable causes across the country each year.
- In fact, nearly 40% of immigrants aged 15 and older are volunteers. On average, these people will volunteer 162 hours each year.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census or Statistics Canada, Giving and volunteering among Canada’s immigrants, 2012.
Increase in the number of immigrants employed in social services and charitable organizations (between 2006 and 2016)
