Employers have a good attitude towards migrants, although recruiting is challenging due to a shortage of candidates. As shown in a study conducted by The Harris Centre at Memorial University in Labrador and Newfoundland titled “Employer Attitudes toward Hiring International Students and Newcomers in the Atlantic Provinces.” Many companies in Atlantic Canada are having difficulty filling positions because there aren’t enough qualified candidates.
Atlantic Canada includes the four easternmost provinces of Canada: Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. The study looked at employers’ views and viewpoints to better understand the problems of immigrant integration in Atlantic Canada’s labor market.
In Atlantic Canada, moreover, half of the companies who received applications from immigrants and foreign students hired one. Moreover, 88% of employers polled indicated they had favorable experiences with immigrant labor. They had a favorable opinion of immigration since they had previously recruited international people who were “hardworking, competent, and dependable.” Employers in Atlantic Canada are eager to hire immigrants, as seen by this good perception. Provinces, however, are having a hard time keeping immigrants in the region.
The immigration rate in Atlantic Canada is low:
Atlantic Canada is experiencing a population dilemma. Fertility rates are falling in the region, and the population is getting older similarly. Many of the overseas students who come to the region to study end up departing in pursuit of better career prospects that fit their goals.
Actually, work is the primary reason immigrants leave the region. Thus governments, businesses, and educational institutions have devised methods to recruit and keep more immigrants, foreign students, and temporary employees to the region.
Even though the region’s population is only 6.5 percent of Canada’s, it accepted roughly 3% of immigration in 2010. This number jumped to 5% in 2016. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot was established in 2017 by the Canadian federal government as an additional immigration prospect. There has been a considerable rise in immigration to the area ever since. In 2018, immigration increased by 22%, and it is expected to grow by 26% in 2019.
Despite this, the immigration and retention rates in Atlantic Canada are among the lowest in the country. Many international visitors prefer major cities like Toronto, Vancouver, or Montréal over smaller communities in Atlantic Canada.
What steps must Atlantic Canada take to keep its influx of immigrants?
Several objectives have been highlighted in the research to make it much easier for immigrants and overseas students to incorporate into the job markets of the country.
One option would be to implement immigration policies that are suited to the needs of businesses in the region. Employers need to employ, yet there aren’t enough candidates. A simple approach is to coordinate immigration policy to meet these labor shortages.
Another suggestion is to offer immigrants and employers cross-cultural negotiations to make it simpler to interact at work. This is especially essential since language competence, cultural and workplace diversity, and retention are all major concerns for businesses.
Another of the study’s suggestions is to change workplace ways to aid immigrants and increase retention. Some indicators show things are getting better. Canada’s immigration agency discovered earlier this year that immigrant retention rates in the region are improving.
According to the survey responses: the government & non-governmental organizations and settlement agencies should do more to encourage children’s education, accessible healthcare, affordable housing, and spousal employment, as well as boost social connection activities.
