Recent provincial nominees in Canada were less likely to be employed in technical and skilled trades jobs and more likely to work in lower-skilled or labourer positions than Canadian-born workers, according to a new joint study by Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The report, released Wednesday, analyzed census data to assess the occupational outcomes of provincial nominees (PNs) who obtained permanent residence one to five years before 2021. While nominees were as likely as Canadian-born workers to hold professional jobs, they were underrepresented in skilled trades and overrepresented in lower-skilled occupations.
Differences across provinces
Employment outcomes varied significantly across the country. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia were more likely to nominate principal applicants for professional roles. In contrast, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta had a larger share of nominees working in lower-skilled and labourer jobs.
By 2021, about one-third of nominee principal applicants held professional jobs, with a similar share in lower-skilled occupations. Spouses and dependants were far less likely to work in professional jobs and more than half were in lower-skilled roles.
Shift toward higher-skilled jobs in recent cohorts
Although there was little change in the types of jobs nominees held as they gained Canadian experience, outcomes shifted across admission cohorts. Nominees admitted between 2016 and 2020 were more likely to be in higher-skilled occupations than those admitted a decade earlier. The share of principal applicants working in management and professional jobs rose from 30 per cent in the 2006–2010 cohort to 45 per cent in the 2016–2020 cohort.
This mirrored broader labour market trends, where employment growth has been faster in high-skilled occupations and slower in medium- and lower-skilled jobs.
Concentration in certain occupations
Nominees were especially likely to work as computer and information systems professionals, where 15 per cent of principal applicants were employed compared with 2.4 per cent of Canadian-born workers. They were also more likely to be employed as engineers, nurse aides, orderlies, sales representatives, and transport truck drivers.
Few nominees worked in skilled trades such as industrial, electrical and construction trades or maintenance and equipment operation. Canadian-born workers were more than twice as likely to be employed in these areas.
Limited mobility, but changing selection patterns
The study found little occupational mobility within cohorts—nominees tended to remain in the same types of jobs over time. However, the occupational structure of recent cohorts shifted toward more professional and technical jobs. This reflects changing labour market demand and adjustments in how provinces select nominees.
