Canada’s population grew faster in 2008 due to an increase in net international migration

As of October 1, 2008, Canada's population was estimated at 33,441,300, up 335,900 people, or one per cent, from January 1, 2008. All provinces and territories, except Northwest Territories, recorded population increase but demographic growth remained higher in Western Canada.

Based on 2006 Census counts, the Canadian Statistics Agency confirmed that this advance in population growth was mainly due to a rise in net international migration which, at 240,700, reached its highest level since the end of the 1980s.

This upward movement in net international migration was due to an increase in both the number of permanent and non-permanent residents.

Since the beginning of the year, Canada has received 194,600 new immigrants, 12,900 more than last year for the same period.

The number of non-permanent residents in Canada also rose by more than 79,500 from January to September. Higher net numbers of non-permanent residents were observed in almost every province and territory, especially in Quebec and in the four western provinces, where the levels topped 2008 highs.

The rise of net population inflows resulting from international migration from January to September 2008 has affected population dynamics in almost all regions of the country, except Northwest Territories. Every province saw their demographic growth increase compared with the same period of 2007.

However, demographic growth remained higher in Western Canada. Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon all had growth rates higher than the national level. East of Manitoba, only Prince Edward Island outpaced the national level.

For a fourth consecutive quarter, Alberta led all the other provinces in demographic growth, posting a rate of 0.72 per cent, nearly twice the national rate. The province's growth was mainly attributable to a resurgence in interprovincial migration and a strong increase in its number of non-permanent residents. Alberta's rate of growth in non-permanent residents has been the highest of all the provinces since the fourth quarter of 2006.

Saskatchewan had the highest net interprovincial migration rate in Canada in the third quarter of 2008. Its population has been growing at a faster rate than the national level since the second quarter of 2007.

Manitoba and British Columbia both posted demographic growth above the national level in 2008. Manitoba posted its highest quarterly increase between April and July since the third quarter of 1982.

In Eastern Canada, all Atlantic provinces recorded population increases for a second consecutive quarter. Prince Edward Island continued to lead the region in demographic growth with an increase of 0.67 per cent, mainly the result of the highest net international migration rate in Canada. In the third quarter of 2008, the population of Newfoundland and Labrador experienced its highest growth rate since the second quarter of 1991, primarily as a result of strong net interprovincial migration.

For a fourth quarter in a row, Ontario's demographic growth, +0.37 per cent, was below the national level, even though the province registered its lowest net outflow in interprovincial migration since the first quarter of 2007.

Quebec's demographic growth was its highest since the second quarter of 1991. An increasing number of births and a third-quarter record in net international migration more than offset the province's large net outflow in interprovincial migration.

Yukon led the northern territories in demographic growth for a third consecutive quarter. Since the beginning of 2008, Yukon has been the only territory with net inflows in both interprovincial and international migration.

Canada's rate of natural increase in 2008 remained relatively stable compared with the same period of 2007, with the number of births and deaths increasing in a similar fashion.

Filipinos mark the highest rank in permanent residents and temporary workers combined in 2007

For the first time, the Philippines has become Canada's largest source in providing the highest number of permanent residents and temporary workers combined in 2007.

A recent analysis of Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) quarterly statistics on new permanent residents and foreign workers by the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) showed that the Philippines has surpassed China and India by sending 19,064 immigrants and 15,254 temporary workers (total 34,318) to Canada in 2007.

The change in the Philippines’s ranking is mainly due to a significant rise in number of Filipino temporary workers in Canada between 2006 and 2007 that soared from 8,466 to 15,254. This over 90 per cent upsurge was the highest single year increase in the number of Filipino temporary workers in Canada since 1998. In 2007, the Philippines was positioned second within the top source countries for temporary foreign workers after the United States.

On the other hand, a 10 per cent decline in the permanent residents to Canada between 2005 and 2007 was reflected in the drop of number of immigrants entering Canada from major source countries. For example, immigration from China, still the top source, decreased by one-third between 2005 and 2007, dropping to a 10-year low, while immigration from India, the second-largest group, also dropped by 20 per cent in the same period. Amongst other significant declines in source countries were Pakistan which declined by over 20 per cent over the previous year. On the contrary, immigration from the Philippines, the third-largest group, gone up nearly 9 per cent over the same two year period and have more than doubled in the past decade. The Philippines has also been among the top five source countries for permanent residents for over 25 years.

Filipino immigrants have also showed the strongest labor market performance in a study of all immigrants who had landed in Canada between 2001 and 2006, compared with immigrants, aged 25 to 54 and born elsewhere in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia. The study used the results from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) that was made possible through a partnership with Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), CIC and Statistics Canada. It showed that in 2006, many very recent immigrants in the core working-age group (aged 25 to 54) had experienced some difficulties in the labor market, compared with the Canadian born. Only those born in Southeast Asia, particularly those from the Philippines, had unemployment rates, employment rates and participation rates more or less at par with the Canadian-born population of core working age. In fact, very recent Filipino-born immigrants had an unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent, which was only slightly higher than 4.9 per cent for the Canadian born.

At present, nearly half a million Filipinos living in Canada while most Filipino temporary workers are teachers, nurses and caregivers in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, of them two-thirds are women.

"Despite their numeric significance, Filipinos have a low profile in Canada. They are primarily focused on sending their salaries to their families back home," said Flordeliz Dandal, executive director of the Kababayan Community Centre in Toronto, a newcomer-settlement group. "They don't care about politics, and they don't yet have time to engage in Canadian political life unless they have been here a long time."

The Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan are especially interested in recruiting temporary foreign workers from the Philippines and have forged agreements with the Philippines government for this purpose.

Alberta has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippines government in October 2008 to help fill labor shortages in its oil and gas industry as well as construction sector for its infrastructure projects with 10,000 highly skilled Filipino workers and professionals. British Columbia has also signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with the Philippine government in January 2008 to help fill provincial labor shortages in the tourism, hospitality, retail, and construction sectors with skilled Filipino workers. British Columbia employers have also participated in the Province’s first ever job fair in the Philippines in October 2008, provided Filipinos with the opportunity to explore employment opportunities in British Columbia’s hospitality/tourism and transportation sectors. In 2008, Western Canada has recruited between 30,000 and 40,000 skilled Filipino workers.

Newcomers streaming to mid-sized cities mainly due to emerging economic and employment prospects

According to a new statistics by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the mid-sized cities are now attracting increasing number of immigrants than large urban centers where stream of newcomers is either flatlined or even declined in recent years.

The figures show the number of immigrants taking up residence in Toronto dropped to 87,136 last year from 99,293 a year earlier, a decline of roughly 12 per cent, while the number coming to Vancouver slipped to 32,920 from 36,273, a drop of just over nine per cent. Montreal was up slightly to 38,710 from 38,391.

Meanwhile, Charlottetown was up 73 per cent to 801, Moncton 31 per cent to 343, Saskatoon 40 per cent to 1,618, Winnipeg 10 per cent to 8,472 and Red Deer 93 per cent to 567. It was a mixed picture in British Columbia's smaller centers, with gains in Kelowna, Chilliwack, Nanaimo and Victoria and declines in Kamloops, Abbotsford and Prince George.

The change reflects shifting economic and employment prospects across the country and efforts made by comparatively smaller centers to attract and retain newcomers. Various successful regional initiatives such as expansion in provincial nomination programs (in terms of extended family members and international students) and federal programs designed to encourage immigrants to settle in diverse areas of country are some of the reasons attributed to this shift.

In their efforts to spread newcomers across the country, CIC has been encouraging smaller communities to benefit from immigration for their growth and sustainability. For this purpose, CIC is providing them with enhanced guidelines and increased funding to help develop their own immigration strategy and build an inclusive settlement plan for newcomers.

Major urban cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are often cited as a preferred destination for newcomers because of their established ethnic communities and greater economic opportunities for individuals who do not have a high proficiency in English or French. These three largest metropolises absorb around 67 per cent of newcomers to Canada each year.

However, the recent figures have shown that newcomers who settle in smaller cities often enjoy a more successful economic integration. Labor force participation is highest in areas outside Canada’s threes largest metropolises, unemployment rates are lower, incomes are higher, and housing is less crowded. Moreover, immigrants have begun to appreciate the advantages of living in a smaller city, away from the congestion, pollution, noise and stress of a big city.

This influx of immigrants is very beneficial to small and mid-sized cities in terms of increasing the labor pool, raising the municipal tax base, and adding greater cultural diversification to the communities.