A new Statistics Canada 2006 report reveals that the province of Manitoba has
the highest employment rate in Canada among recent immigrants. In Manitoba, the
employment rate among this group is a country-leading 73.1 per cent and its
unemployment rate is only 6.8 per cent, the second lowest in Canada. Elsewhere
in Canada, this group of very recent immigrants typically have a harder
time finding employment because of lack of recognition of foreign credentials,
lack of Canadian work experience, and language barriers. The capital city
of Winnipeg has the narrowest gap in employment rates between these very recent
immigrants and Canadian-born Winnipeg residents.
Manitoba's vibrant economy has stimulated a high demand for workers in recent
years. The provincial government has responded by developing services and
programs to help immigrants find work after they arrive. Manitoba's highly
successful Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is largely responsible for these
favourable employment statistics. In 2006, Manitoba received 6,600
newcomers under the Manitoba PNP, which accounted for over 60 per cent of all
new immigrants to Manitoba. Even more significant, Manitoba received 50
per cent of all the provincial nominees who came to Canada in 2006.
Tayeb Meridje, a labour market specialist with Success Skills Centre indicates
that the employment success rate of new immigrants to Manitoba has improved
significantly over the past ten years. He also indicated that
today's immigrants are better qualified and better trained and many of them are
looking for work in biotech and manufacturing, industries where Manitoba has a
strong demand for labour.
