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 […] Busby & Mahboubi – Destination Canada: What a More Attractive Canada Means for Our Future
From: Colin Busby and Parisa Mahboubi To: The Hon. Ahmed D. Hussen Date: February 8, 2017 Re: Destination Canada: What a More Attractive Canada Means for Our Future Should recent US immigration decisions make our southern neighbour a less desirable destination for potential migrants, it could be a boon for Canada. Canada’s immigration programs are […] Taylor & Yeates – Building up and deploying our human capital
From: Kathleen Taylor and Neil Yeates To: Human Capital Council members, federal, provincial and local governments Date: September 19, 2016 Re: Building up and deploying our human capital How we develop the skills of Canadians and how we put them to best use are two central issues confronting a wide range of policymakers today. Getting the answers right will […] Ottawa is ignoring the changing realities of the retirement age – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Earlier this week, The Globe and Mail revealed internal research by government officials showing a global trend toward older normal pension ages, with most OECD countries’ target policy retirement age to be raised to at least 67 by around 2050. An eventual increase in the normal retirement age, here in Canada, appears inevitable.
Despite this trend, Ottawa recently reversed course and cancelled a scheduled gradual increase in the Old Age Security (OAS) eligibility age from 65 to 67, to be fully implemented by 2030. The recent decision fails to recognize longer life expectancy since the 65-year-old benchmark was adopted, and the current marked trend towards later retirements. Projections show that by 2030, about 40 per…
Ottawa needs to build on recent immigration reforms: Globe and Mail Op-Ed
The federal government announced changes to Canada’s immigration system this week. It will make it easier for foreign students in Canada to stay and work after they graduate – these are the kind of immigrants Canada needs. But it also quietly approved changes that allow Atlantic Canadian seafood processors to use temporary foreign workers in seasonal jobs in place of Canadian workers.
The previous government changed the rules of the two main economic immigration channels: the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program and the permanent immigrant system that awards points to prospective immigrants. The changes were substantial and are likely to profoundly change the type of people who migrate to Canada.
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