Canada is addressing its labor shortages by relying on immigration to sustain its workforce and fuel economic growth. Immigrants are filling critical roles in healthcare, transportation, construction, business, and technology, ensuring the continued prosperity of industries vital to the nation’s economy.
According to Immigration News Canada (INC), immigration is central to maintaining Canada’s workforce, particularly as the country faces the challenges of an aging population. Immigrants contribute significantly across nearly every industry, providing essential skills and expertise to support economic stability and growth.
Key Sectors Benefiting from Immigrant Contributions
Healthcare: A Lifeline for the System
Immigrants play a crucial role in sustaining Canada’s healthcare system. In a sector employing over 1.9 million workers, one in four healthcare professionals is foreign-born.
- Immigrants constitute 25% of registered nurses and 42% of nurse aides, addressing staffing shortages in nursing and residential care facilities.
- They fill specialized roles, including 43% of pharmacists, 37% of physicians, 45% of dentists, and 61% of dental technologists.
- As over 420,000 healthcare workers are expected to retire within the next decade, immigrants are essential to meeting the growing demand for home healthcare services, ensuring accessibility and quality.
Transportation: Keeping Canada Moving
The transportation sector, vital to the movement of goods and services, heavily relies on immigrants, who make up 35% of truck drivers and 43% of public transit employees.
- Immigrants own 56% of trucking businesses and represent 25% of air transportation workers.
- As 25% of transportation workers are nearing retirement age, immigrants are essential to maintaining Canada’s logistics networks and ensuring the seamless flow of goods.
Construction: Building Canada’s Future
Canada’s construction industry, employing over 600,000 workers, depends on immigrants to meet the rising demand for skilled labor.
- Immigrants account for 41% of architects, 40% of civil engineers, and 24% of construction managers.
- They also contribute significantly to skilled trades, representing 20% of roofers, 16% of electricians, 15% of carpenters, and 14% of plumbers.
Business: Driving Economic Growth
Immigrant entrepreneurs and business owners are at the forefront of innovation and job creation. Over 800,000 immigrants are self-employed, with 250,000 employing paid staff.
- Immigrants own 53% of restaurant businesses and 52% of grocery stores.
- They also lead 40% of software publishing companies, driving growth and innovation in Canada’s business landscape.
Food Services: Sustaining the Nation
The food services industry, employing over 1 million people, benefits significantly from immigrant contributions.
- Immigrants own over 51% of food and beverage businesses with paid staff and represent over 25% of the sector’s workforce.
- Their involvement helps meet rising demand while driving innovation in Canada’s culinary landscape.
Technology and Science: Pioneering Innovation
Canada’s technology and science sectors thrive on the expertise of immigrants, who make up 35% of computer programmers, 43% of engineers, and 57% of chemists.
- Many immigrants enter the country as international students in STEM fields and stay to advance Canada’s technological landscape.
- Their skills ensure Canada remains competitive in the fast-evolving global tech industry.
A Strategic Approach to Workforce Sustainability
As Canada faces the challenges of an aging population and workforce retirements, immigration remains critical to addressing labor shortages and sustaining economic growth. By filling key roles across diverse sectors, immigrants are not only meeting immediate workforce needs but also driving innovation and long-term prosperity for the nation.
