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Ranking Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg on integrating new immigrants into our labour market
Immigration / Research
A new national report is putting a spotlight on a persistent issue in Canada’s labour market: many immigrants are not able to fully use their education and skills after they arrive. Recently the Canadian Immigrant website explored this research in detail.
The ‘Immigrant Skill Utilization Scorecard’, developed by Signal49 Research (formerly the Conference Board of Canada) in partnership with the Future Skills Centre, tracks how well municipalities across the country are integrating immigrants into the workforce. It compares outcomes with Canadian-born workers and looks at key issues such as overqualification, unemployment and part-time work.
The scorecard, based on Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey data from 2022 to 2024, looked at 28 municipalities across Canada and gives a letter grade between A and D to evaluate a communities success in integrating new immigrants.
In 2024, most cities fell into mid-range performance:
- 36 per cent received a B grade
- 54 per cent received a C grade
There is room for improvement in Regina, which went from a C letter grade in 2022 to a D in 2024. Saskatoon, on the other hand, had a C in 2022, rose to a B in 2023, but was back to a C in 2024.
Meanwhile, Winnipeg garnered a B in all three years that were assessed.
Overqualification remains the biggest challenge
The report finds that overeducation, where someone works in a job below their qualifications, is the most common problem.
Immigrants are 1.8 times more likely than Canadian-born workers to be overqualified for their roles.
The second major issue is involuntary part-time work. Immigrants are 1.7 times more likely to be working part time when they would prefer full-time jobs.
Unemployment and temporary work affect both groups at similar rates overall, but the nature of temporary work differs. Immigrants are more likely to be in contract or term roles, while Canadian-born workers are more likely to take seasonal jobs.
The report also notes that among part-time workers, immigrants are more likely to cite caregiving or personal responsibilities as the reason, while Canadian-born workers are more likely to point to schooling.
Economic cost and sector gaps
The underuse of immigrant talent has a broader economic impact. Canada could face up to $11 billion in losses by 2040 due to skill underutilization, based on earlier labour market trends. The gaps are especially visible in key sectors.
In 2024, immigrants made up:
- 20 per cent of full-time workers in construction
- 30 per cent in health care
- 38 per cent in hospitality
Despite this, they were significantly more likely to be overqualified:
- 2.6 times more likely in construction
- 2.2 times more likely in health care
- 1.4 times more likely in hospitality
They also faced higher rates of involuntary part-time work, including 1.8 times higher in construction and 1.6 times higher in health care.
Most cities are stuck in the middle
Only Vaughan, Ont., earned an A grade. At the lower end, Regina, Sask., and Moncton, N.B., received D grades.
Progress over time has been uneven. Between 2022 and 2024:
- 3 municipalities improved
- 5 declined
- the rest remained stable
Smaller municipalities tended to perform worse, while medium-sized ones showed the widest range — including the only A grade and one of the D grades.
Regional differences across Canada
There are also clear regional patterns. Ontario was the only province with a top-performing municipality. Saskatchewan and New Brunswick had the lowest-performing cities. British Columbia and Manitoba were mostly in the B range, while Quebec had a mix of B and C grades. Alberta and Atlantic Canada leaned toward C grades overall.
Policy changes, but impact unclear
The report notes that several policy changes took place during the study period.
These include category-based immigration selection targeting sectors like health care, trades and STEM, as well as Ontario legislation that removes Canadian work experience requirements for licensing in more than 30 professions.
While these changes may help improve outcomes, the report says it is still too early to measure their impact.
A system that still needs fixing
The findings point to two key areas for improvement: better recognition of foreign credentials and stronger pathways to full-time employment.
For now, the message is clear. Canada continues to attract skilled immigrants, but many are still working below their potential — a gap that affects not just individuals, but the country’s economy as a whole.
Click here to review: The Immigrant Skill Utilization Scorecard
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