Immigration system hurts more than helps, study finds
Many newcomers stuck in jobs that are `dirty, dangerous and difficult'
Jun 18, 2009 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (7)
Lesley Ciarula Taylor
Immigration Reporter
Star.com
Dumping newcomers in pizza delivery jobs sets them up for a dismal future in Toronto, an innovative new study reveals.
The rags-to-riches immigrant stories Canada has been bred on don't work anymore, say the two professors who led the project that will be released today. In fact, given the increasingly fragile economy, many of the standard methods of dealing with newcomers are making their lives worse.
“The whole argument that, like they did in the `60s and `70s, immigrants will start off in survival jobs and move to stable jobs that doesn't happen,” said Patricia Landolt of the Centre for Urban and Community Studies at the University of Toronto
“Rather than wait around while we create an underclass, we need to deal with this now.”
And not just for immigrants, she added. As of 2006, more than 40 per cent of all workers in Ontario worked in low-wage service jobs.
Landolt and Luin Goldring of York University were the lead researchers on the Immigration and Precarious Employment project, which over three years interviewed 300 Latin American and English-speaking Caribbean immigrants in Greater Toronto with a variety of incomes and backgrounds. The study includes a manual in Spanish and English for people who deal with newcomers, available at arts.yorku.ca/research/ine.
Rather than just measure one thing at a time full-time work or benefit deductions or scheduling or how wages are paid the project created an index of precarious work that factored all of them in.
“Each indicator of precariousness is not necessarily a problem. It may not even be illegal. But taken together they result in jobs that are dirty, dangerous and difficult,” the study said.
Leading immigration academics and community activists are part of a policy group and a community group that will take the research further.
Among the major findings:
Despite an immigration policy designed to lure “the best and the brightest,” education had no impact on whether immigrants ended up in a precarious job. The only thing that made a difference was the ability to speak English.
Their first job in Canada had a big influence on the rest of their work lives: Those who started with precarious jobs were more likely to stay in them. Bad advice was a prime factor in ending up in precarious work.
Temporary foreign workers “set the floor on how far down you can push everyone else,” said Landolt.
On-the-job training helps improve immigrants' working lives, but government education and training strategies don't have much impact.
More than 75 per cent worked in non-union jobs and more than 70 per cent worked only part-time. Sixty per cent had weak or vague contracts. More than a third were paid cash.
50 per cent reported working with chronic pain.
30 per cent reported their work was dangerous.
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Public perception more important than Government policies
I immigrated to Canada 9yrs back leaving behind a flourishing family practice for my childrens' education. Did they benefit – yes, but I paid a very high price. No government policies will ever work until the employers are able to evaluate a persons caliber individually and objectively regardless of color, accent and country where education was obtained. As for the Canadians were they not all immigrants at some point in time?
Submitted by adreamer at 9:38 AM Thursday, June 18 2009
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@ Marilyn
That's great Marilyn, I agree with you, except for the fact that if we aren't importing people, we need to be producing people to sustain our population. Is that happening? NO! Young Canadian-born Canadians (what you really mean is white) are too busy sleeping around, and chasing condos and BMWs to commit to a mate and reproduce like previous generations. In fact, it is the immigrants (Chinese, Indian, etc.) who are having children in the nuclear family. I challenge you to take a look at the makeup of our elementary schools to see who is actually contributing to the next generation of Canadians.
Submitted by robbiedigital at 9:08 AM Thursday, June 18 2009
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Why do we keep bringing more here each day?
We are not helping ourselves as a country by being afraid to do what is right. Another 250 will arrive in Toronto today. Why?
Submitted by makemyday at 8:35 AM Thursday, June 18 2009
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Re-evaluation needed
It's time to halt immigration completly for the next several years. We also don't need temp workers and all the other classes of people allowed into Canada to work for whatever reason. We have enough to deal with with our own recently unemployed, graduating students and unemployed refugees. Why continue to worsen the situation by allowing more people into Canada before these people can be supported. It's going to be a long time before the economy improves.
Submitted by devilsadvocate at 7:54 AM Thursday, June 18 2009
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I met a woman at a bus stop the other day.
We started talking. She is from India. In her native country, she was a Doctor working with women experiencing high risk pregnancies. In Canada; the land of opportunity; she is a dishwasher…What is wrong with this picture?
Submitted by spiritofwicca at 7:23 AM Thursday, June 18 2009
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Dead On the Money
Let's not get too upset about those pizza delivery jobs. In many cases the whole family owns the business but in order to get more social benefits, the family “works” in a pizza store. However, the article is bang on. If our own university grads cannot find work, why should we be bringing newcomers in with the same credentials who will also get frustrated looking for work. We actually need more entrepreneurial people like the pizza folks who will build their own businesses and maybe employ some of us while they are at it.
Submitted by Wallhouse Wart at 6:49 AM Thursday, June 18 2009
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END IMMIGRATION
The Liberal's immigration policy introduced by Trudeau has proven to be the demise of Canada. The number if illegal immigrants and refugees who bleed our system dry which system is paid for by hard-working Canadians by far, out-weighs legitimate immigrants who in fact, contribute to our society. We have far too many Canadians of convenience and are the laughing stock of the world with our lax open-arm policies. Until such time that all Canadian-born Canadians are gainfully employed, close the doors to new immigrants. The free ride must end.
Submitted by Marilyn at 6:22 AM Thursday, June 18 2009
