Parisa Mahboubi – Canada Can Benefit Economically from the Asylum Seeker Surge
From: Parisa Mahboubi To: Concerned Canadians Date: July 24, 2018 Re: Canada can benefit economically from the asylum seeker surge The number of asylum seekers crossing into Canada has increased since 2016 due to changes in US immigration policy. While the majority do not appear to meet the requirements for admission, Canada can still benefit from eligible claimants by […] Robson, Mahboubi – More Immigration is Good, but What About the People Who are Leaving?
From: William B.P. Robson and Parisa Mahboubi To: Canada’s Ministers of Finance, Employment and Immigration Date: April 6, 2018 Re: More Immigration is Good, but what About the People who are Leaving? Immigration has been a key driver of Canada’s economic and cultural development. As natural population growth has slowed, immigration’s contribution to growth in […] Demographic Challenges Are Key To Solving Canada’s Inflation Riddle – Globe And Mail Op-ed
For the first time in three years, headline inflation in Canada has moved above the Bank of Canada’s 2-per-cent target. Whether or not it will continue to increase, the fact that the bank’s three core measures of inflation averaged above 2 per cent for the first time in six years certainly suggests that it will. But the question remains, why has it been so hard to hit the 2-per-cent target? In a recent C.D. Howe Institute paper, we show that demographics – often thought of as an issue for health care or pension costs – has acted as a drag on monetary policy effectiveness and, in turn, has led to lower inflation.
Much work has been done examining the issue of tepid inflation since the financial crisis. Canada has not been immune…
Robson, Mahboubi – Later Retirement versus Higher Immigration as Remedies for an Aging Population
To: Canada’s Ministers of Immigration and Finance From: William B.P. Robson and Parisa Mahboubi Date: March 27, 2018 Re: Later Retirement versus Higher Immigration as Remedies for an Aging Population Canada’s aging population – notably the rapid increase in Canadians past normal retirement age relative to their working-age compatriots – is slowing growth in the […] Immigration Alone Can’t Keep Canada Young – Globe And Mail Op-ed
Canada is getting older. Not just us Canadians as individuals, but our population as a whole.
Our fertility rate dropped below the replacement rate of 2.1 required for population stability way back in 1971. Life expectancy at birth has increased by more than nine years since then.
One consequence of low fertility and increased longevity is that the number of people past what we traditionally consider working age is rising relative to the people of working age. The ratio of Canadians age 65 and older to Canadians age 18-64 rose by more than 10 percentage points over the past 40 years, and will rise by more than 10 percentage points again over the next 40.
An aging population puts pressure on living standards, dampens…
Inflated Expectations: More Immigrants Can’t Solve Canada’s Aging Problem on Their Own
Higher immigration can ease, but not entirely mitigate, the impacts of demographic change on the workforce, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Inflated Expectations: More Immigrants Can’t Solve Canada’s Aging Problem on Their Own” authors William B.P. Robson and Parisa Mahboubi encourage governments to adopt policies to complement immigration that […] Off balance: Canada, the U.S. and labour mobility – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
As it contemplates the possibility of a modernized NAFTA, Canada should seek to improve labour mobility throughout North America to address skill shortages in Canada.
The narrative around the Trump regime focuses on Canada’s increased advantage in attracting skilled international workers. But those same tougher U.S. immigration policies bring a threat: American employers may try to hire more Canadians who can easily cross the border to meet the demand for high skills.
As a result of rapid technological changes, employers’ needs for high-skilled workers grow every year. Since the North American free-trade agreement came into force more than 20 years ago, new occupations have been created. The Canadian market faces a…
Busby and Mahboubi – Challenges for International Students in Canadian Immigration System
From: Colin Busby and Parisa Mahboubi To: Federal and provincial ministers of immigration; provincial ministers of postsecondary education Date: August 29, 2017 Re: Challenges for International Students in Canadian Immigration System The Government of Canada would like to increase the number of international students that migrate to Canada. International students are attractive because they have demonstrated […] The Power of Words: Improving Immigrants’ Literacy Skills
Ottawa should strengthen the screening process to improve the literacy skills of immigrants, states a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In The Power of Words: Improving Immigrants’ Literacy Skills, author Parisa Mahboubi argues that Canada needs to improve selection policies for immigration screening, either by giving more weight to language proficiency or by […] Finnie, Mueller, and Sweetman – Education is Key to Immigrant Integration in Canada
From: Ross Finnie, Richard E. Mueller, and Arthur Sweetman To: Provincial Ministers of Education and Immigration; Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Date: July 24 2017 Re: Education is Key to Immigrant Integration in Canada For 2017, Canada increased its permanent immigration target to almost 1 per cent of the population. And, happily, the […] Education Quality and Immigrants’ Success in the Canadian Labour Market
Policymakers must find innovative ways to improve immigrants’ likelihood of finding well-paid employment, states a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Education Quality and Immigrants’ Success in the Canadian Labour Market,” author Qing Li finds that the earnings of foreign-trained immigrants in Canada are linked not only to the level of their education, […] Parisa Mahboubi – Matching Immigrants’ Skills With Employers’ Needs
From: Parisa Mahboubi To: Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Date: February 9, 2017 Re: Matching Immigrants’ Skills with Employers’ Needs Due to the retirement of the baby boom generation, Canada will likely face skills shortages in some professional occupations and technical disciplines, such as engineering. These skill shortages may be addressed either through […]