The C.D. Howe Institute Immigration Targets Council is comprised of leading academics and policy experts who provide independent recommendations on Canada’s immigration-level targets and the design of its selection system. Meeting annually ahead of the federal government’s November 1st release of its Immigration Levels Plan, the Council reviews demographic, labour market, and policy considerations to […]
From: Mikal SkuterudTo: Labour Market WatchersDate: September 9, 2025Re: A Realistic Strategy to Wean Canadian Businesses Off Low-Skill Foreign Labour Uprooting one’s life to settle in a new country is always daunting, but it’s particularly unnerving when immigration rules are in constant flux. Attracting foreign talent requires a system that is stable, transparent, and predictable. […]
Ottawa won’t meet its goal of reducing temporary immigration at this rate. The Institute’s Parisa Mahboubi asks why the federal government set a target it can’t meet, and tells Michael Hainsworth what needs to be done to bring more skilled labour into the economy.
Ottawa won’t meet its goal of reducing temporary immigration at this rate. The Institute’s Parisa Mahboubi asks why the federal government set a target it can’t meet, and tells Michael Hainsworth what needs to be done to bring more skilled labour into the economy.
From: Parisa Mahboubi and Daniel HiebertTo: Concerned Canadians Date: August 7, 2025Re: The Demographic Slowdown Has Arrived Canada’s population growth has nearly halted – even as the illusion persists that immigration alone can resolve our demographic challenges. New data from Statistics Canada show that from January to April 2025, the population grew by just 20,107 […]
Between Q1 2024 and Q2 2025, the composition of Canada’s temporary resident population shifted significantly. Study permit holders declined by nearly 20 percent, asylum claimants rose by over 40 percent, and work permit holders remained near record highs. As a result, the total temporary resident population fell only modestly, despite the federal government’s pledge to […]
From: Parisa MahboubiTo: Immigration observers Date: July 8, 2025Re: Why Set Immigration Targets Canada Can’t Meet? The federal government announced last year that it would reduce the portion of the country’s temporary residents to 5 percent of Canada’s total population by the end of 2026. Framing it as a necessary correction to years of unsustainable […]
Published in The Globe and Mail The federal government announced last year that it would reduce the portion of the country’s temporary residents to 5 per cent of Canada’s total population by the end of 2026. Framing it as a necessary correction to years of unsustainable growth in the number of such immigrants, Ottawa introduced […]
The unprecedented surge in population growth following the pandemic exacerbated Canada’s housing shortage. However, recent changes to the federal government’s immigration policy are beginning to reverse this trend. In the past two quarters, the housing stock per 1,000 persons has risen as a result of slower population growth. To continue closing the housing gap, more supply-side […]
Fast vs. Slow: How Different Immigration Rates Can Impact Canada’s Economic Challenges and Regional Disparities This report examines how different permanent immigration rates – and policies aimed at influencing where newcomers settle – affect Canada’s population growth, regional balance, and long-term economic challenges. It models six scenarios from 2021 to 2046 to project the impacts […]
June 3, 2024 – Immigration alone cannot solve Canada’s regional and demographic challenges, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. Immigration must be paired with regional development; otherwise, Canada risks exacerbating the divide between fast- and slow-growth regions while placing even greater strain on already pressured large urban centres. In “Fast vs. […]
To: Canadian insurance watchersFrom: Joe NunesDate: May 23, 2025Re: More Flexibility, Please, for Seniors’ LTD Coverage As more Canadians work past age 65 – due to longer life expectancy, the end of mandatory retirement, and the need or desire to keep working – rigid age cutoffs for long-term disability (LTD) insurance, typically set at 65, may […]
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