COLUMN: Viewpoint – Immigration and jobs

My husband was in Steinbach a few weeks ago and happened to be driving through our former neighborhood when a school bus pulled up to a designated stop. Students poured out onto the sidewalk. My husband couldn’t get over what a diverse group they were – children of such varied racial backgrounds and nationalities. He noted the busload of kids was certainly much more diverse than it would have been when we raised our sons in the same area over 25 years ago.

I mentioned my husband’s observation to a Steinbach resident the following week and commented what a positive thing I thought it was that so many new immigrants were coming to the city and adding diversity to the community. The person commented brusquely, “But all those immigrants are taking away jobs from Canadians.”

I wondered if they could be right, so I did a little research. Statistics Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce have found immigrants fill lower-skilled and professional jobs that Canadian workers don’t seem to want. I know when my father was in a nursing home there was always a shortage of caregivers available to cover shifts, but virtually all the staff who had already accepted employment there, had come to Canada from other countries. There were still more jobs available, but not enough immigrants to fill them, and no other Canadians who wanted them.

The Canadian Centre for Refugees reports it is a complete myth that immigrants take away jobs from ‘real’ Canadians increasing unemployment and driving down wages. They claim there is no established link between the rate of immigration and the rate of unemployment and that quite to the contrary, the economy tends to grow during periods of high immigration. They remind us that many immigrants actually create job opportunities for other Canadians by starting companies and investing capital in our country.

According to the group Citizens for Public Justice, as the Canadian population ages, immigration is vital in order to maintain a stable and growing workforce and economy. Immigration can increase government revenue and create a net tax benefit. Immigrants have about the same rate of employment as people born in Canada although they tend to be self-employed more often.

Although it is true that the unemployment rate in Canada has been creeping upward in the last couple of years, according to financial experts that can’t be blamed on immigration but rather on other factors. The tariffs imposed by our American neighbours on Canadian goods is a major cause of unemployment, as is a slower economy, and the fact that as labour costs have increased some businesses are hiring less people, or choosing to invest in technology that can save them labour expenses.

I watched the CBC morning show Heather Hiscox hosted in Steinbach in September. One of the things she discussed with Mayor Earl Funk was the city’s participation in the Rural Community Immigration Pilot Program, a federal initiative to address workforce shortages. Steinbach applied for this program and was accepted because they proved they could support immigrant workers and there was a need for them. That means that immigrants aren’t taking jobs from Steinbach citizens, like the resident I talked with believed, but rather, they are filling vacancies Canadians have left open.

In his CBC interview Mayor Funk talked about Steinbach being a friendly place that welcomes everyone who wants to work and make their home here. The diverse group of kids my husband saw getting off the Steinbach school bus is a vivid illustration of what happens when you have that kind of positive attitude towards new immigrants.