Canadian Immigration News

Language Skills Can Affect Canadian Immigrants Income, Report Shows

An internal federal government document reveals that Canadian immigrants working in ethnic enclaves in big cities earn less than other Canadians.

The report points out that Canadian immigrants who don't speak English or French often have to work in ethnic enclaves when doing so do not earn as much as other Canadians.

The research notes that immigrants who can speak English and French adequately have comparable earnings to their Canadian-born counterparts.The report also reveals that the number of immigrants working in a non-official language jumped 14 percent between 2001 and 2006, involving 611,000 people. 60 percent of this group cannot conduct a conversation in English or French. The possibility that such immigrants end up in an ethnically sheltered economy is very high, says the report. Jobs in these enclaves were mostly in the lower-paying service industries, and taking those jobs can put employees into a rut.

"Exposure to one's group reduces the accumulation of skills specific to the host country's labour market, decreases the knowledge of the local native language and impedes immigrants' economic progress," says the report.

In terms of occupational health and safety, Canadian workers who speak little or no English or French have greater risks partly due to being unaware of their rights.

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