Newfoundland and Labrador welcomed nearly 6,000 new permanent residents in 2024, pushing the province’s population to its highest level since 1998, Immigration Minister Sarah Stoodley told the House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Newcomers are filling key roles across several industries, including health care, education and skilled trades, Stoodley said. The provincial government is working to ensure the momentum continues, she added, highlighting a successful effort to reverse federal immigration cuts.
“In January, we became the first province to successfully negotiate a reversal of federal immigration cuts,” she said. “This work secured the return of 1,000 economic immigration spaces for 2025.”
The province is also seeing high retention rates among immigrants, particularly among Ukrainians who arrived since 2022, with more than 80 per cent remaining in Newfoundland and Labrador. Demand for settlement and integration programs is growing, Stoodley noted, with the province funding 57 projects to support newcomers in 2024.
“By investing in immigration and workforce development, we are addressing our demographic challenges and preparing for the economic opportunities of tomorrow,” she said.
The province’s efforts to attract and retain immigrants are seen as key to addressing labour shortages and bolstering economic growth. Officials say increasing immigration is essential to sustaining public services and industries facing worker shortages.
