What went wrong with Canada’s immigration system

[DKG]

Under the Liberals, we've gone from having an immigration system that was the 'envy of the world' to one that 'plugs holes in low-skilled labour markets'

A report released this week by the C.D. Howe Institute highlights just how much Canadian immigration policy has changed under the current federal government — and not for the better.

Canada went from having a "skilled immigration system that has been the envy of the world for decades [to one that in] the post-pandemic years have seen policy prioritize plugging 'holes' in lower-skilled labour markets," the think tank's report says.

The report urges Ottawa to return to an economic immigration model that prioritizes high-skilled immigrants over low-skilled ones.

Under the Liberal government, the number of immigrants in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker program — which enables employers to fill jobs with foreign workers when qualified Canadians are not available — has exploded. In 2015, Canada admitted 60,000 temporary foreign workers. In 2023, it admitted 188,000.

Admitting such large numbers of low-skilled workers is not in the interests of Canadian workers, newcomers or the country as a whole.

Most Canadian workers, especially individuals at the low end of the pay scale, would benefit from earning more, particularly in today's high cost environment. When businesses can easily fill low-wage jobs, they have no incentive to raise wages.

By contrast, if a labour shortage is permitted to persist, businesses will respond in one of several ways. One response is to raise the amount they are willing to pay workers in the country, which is obviously good for those workers.

Another response is to invest in technology that automates certain job functions (think of, for example, the menu boards where you can now place orders at most fast-food restaurants). Such capital investments boost firms' — and Canada's — productivity, making us a wealthier nation in the long run.

Yet another response, if a business cannot afford to do either of these things, may be to close up shop. This is also okay. It is not the government's job to keep businesses operating by reducing workers' bargaining power.

The C.D. Howe report also makes the case that programs that bring in low-wage workers risk fostering a two-tier society and deepening economic inequality.

Specifically, it points to research showing individuals' sense of satisfaction with their income and status is determined not by reference to their past selves but to the people around them. So a minimum wage worker at a downtown Toronto Starbucks may earn more than she did in her home country, but may feel worse off given the struggles of affording life here and the regular exposure to affluent Torontonians.

Finally, the report notes that an immigration system that is designed to simply expand the labour force without raising the country's average skill level is unlikely to increase GDP per capita.

For Canada — which is confronting serious productivity and economic growth problems — this is a major issue. We need to be focused on increasing GDP per capita, which is strongly associated with higher levels of well-being and improvements in longevity, health, education and knowledge, the report notes.

For all of these reasons, it makes sense for our immigration policy to prioritize economic immigrants who are most likely to benefit our economy and succeed in Canada. This means selecting immigrants who are likely to create jobs, innovate in areas like science, business or tech, or fill high-skilled and structural labour gaps, such as chronic shortages in the health-care sector. 

Canada's immigration points system — which awards applicants points for characteristics such as education, age and language — has much to recommend it. But there are ways for it to be improved to increase the job success and earning potential of high-skilled immigrants.

The system should, for example, increase the amount of points it awards to immigrants who have prior Canadian work experience. Statistics Canada data show this is one of the best predictors of labour market success.

It should also assess and award points for prospective candidates' soft skills. Soft skills, such as communication abilities, are integral to employability and workplace success in Canada, and yet the current system places almost no emphasis on them.

It could also differentiate between foreign degree-granting institutions, awarding more points to candidates who obtain degrees from globally recognized universities than candidates who get degrees from institutions with little international reputation.

These suggestions may sound harsh, but the reality is that the labour force is harsh. Companies care about where individuals get their degrees from and whether they have soft skills. We are doing highly-skilled individuals — and their previous home countries — no favours by bringing them to a market where they are unlikely to practice in their field of training.

It is not a little ironic that the Liberal Party, which trumpets its progressive bona fides, has overseen the vast expansion of a Temporary Foreign Worker program that is not good for workers, both current or new. This needs to change, either under the current government or a new one. 
https://www.canadianaffairs.news/2024/07/12/editorial-what-went-wrong-with-canadas-immigration-system/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEQVj5leHRuA2FlbQEwAAEdt0sYWlXOCpswciEZdTM9CWr_i7wy_ncbEBo4lnx-ki6Z2UH4Ce5eBRDc_aem_odtlVwU74DcjseVHNkWCXw

[Prof Emeritus at Fawk U]

Getting libtards to change is akin to expecting the sun to rise in the west.

[Brent]

Mass immigration under Trudeau has created our homeless crisis and it's destroying health care.

[JOE]

Trudeau over immigrated and now all the Bill's are coming due with higher taxes, user fees.

To this end I totally agree.

He royally fucked up & is one himself.

The Liberals never promised to immigrate that many in their pre election. They overshot their own numbers.

For this reason they should get the boot.

Trudeau has lost control of the situation fo sho. Hes out of control doing things he never initially promised.

The next administration should place a moratorium on new immigrants or at very least drastically reduce thos numbers until they can absorb the ones theyve let in

[Brent]

Good luck getting a job at any urban Tim Horton's if you are a Canadian citizen.