The Sing Tao Daily reported that Statistics Canada indicated that new immigrants educated overseas find it difficult to enter the professional workforce in Canada, particularly in the legal field, where the success rate is only 12%. The second most challenging profession is engineering, with a success rate of less than 20%.
Statistics Canada recently released the report "Perspectives on Labour and Income," which analyzed data from the 2006 census. It found that overseas professional immigrants are less likely to return to their original professions compared to those who studied in Canada, and the latter group has a lower employment rate than those born and educated locally.
According to the 2006 statistics, there were 284,080 immigrants in Canada with overseas professional qualifications, of which only an average of 24% were able to find jobs in their field. In contrast, 163,000 immigrants who received professional education in Canada found jobs in their field at a rate of 53%, more than double that of those with overseas qualifications; while locally born individuals had a rate of 62% after graduating in professional disciplines.
These regulated professions are subject to provincial laws and professional association entry requirements, including the need for relevant education and work experience. The report shows that the employment rate for healthcare professionals is higher than that for teachers, engineers, and lawyers. The employment rate for overseas doctors and nurses in Canada is 56%, while overseas teachers have a rate of 24% and engineers 19%. Among these, lawyers have the lowest employment rate at only 12%.
The longer immigrants stay in Canada, the higher their employment rate becomes, reaching 31% after ten years, but it still does not catch up with the employment rates of immigrants educated in Canada (55%) and native-born Canadians (62%).
In different provinces, employment rates vary significantly. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the employment rate for overseas professional immigrants is the highest at 60%, while the lowest is in Quebec at only 19%. British Columbia averages only 22%.
Some professionals who are unable to find employment may seek related technical or professional jobs. For example, natural or applied scientists who cannot find suitable positions may work as general scientists or technicians. Some professionals may also lower their expectations and take on clerical work or positions in marketing and service industries.
