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Existing research on immigrants in Canada has identified singular aspects of identity (such as race) that causes inequities in their employment experiences. However, research on the impact of multiple intersecting identities on immigrants' women's work experiences is lacking. Without considering the intersecting identities of immigrants, policies and practices geared toward immigrants' well-being may not achieve their objectives. This qualitative study explored the impact of the intersectional identities on the employment experiences of Black African immigrant women in Canada. Participants included fifteen Black African immigrant women engaged in precarious jobs in Ontario. In-depth interviews were used to collect rich layers of information about participants' employment experiences in Canada. The theory of intersectionality was used to analyze the influence of participants' intersectional identities on their employment experiences. Our study results found that participants struggled in their search for professional jobs in the Canadian labor market due to the lack of recognition of foreign credentials. As a result, they worked in jobs perceived to be of "low status" and experienced poor labor market outcomes. Their experiences in the labor market were mainly reflected in their minoritization, especially as these social identities (gender, race, immigration status, and education) intersected. Equity-orientated research, policy initiatives, and practices are recommended to take an intersectional approach to understanding how social identities interact to amplify inequities for Black African immigrant women's employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Immigrants often come to Canada for the purpose of employment and make up a large proportion of our labour force. Yet, these workers' labour market experience may not always be positive – new immigrant workers can have difficulties finding a job in their field and may end up working in ‘survival jobs’ that expose them to workplace hazards. Workers who are new to Canada may not be familiar with legislation designed to protect them at work or with social programs that can help after a work-related injury. Methods. Through a series of in-depth interviews this study examined the experiences of new immigrants after they were injured on the job. Results. The analysis revealed that many workers were in manual, ‘survival jobs’ and had not received job or occupational health and safety training. Many did not speak the English language well and knew little about their rights. While workers often felt trepidation about reporting their injury, most told a health care provider or employer that they were injured or in pain. This, however, rarely led to timely or appropriate claim filing. Workers were often discouraged from filing a claim, misinformed about their rights or offered ‘time off work’ in lieu of reporting the injury to worker's compensation. In instances where a claim was filed, communication problems were common and led to mistakes being made on forms and misunderstandings with the adjudicator and employer. Interpretation services were not always offered consistently or at the correct time. Conclusion. Efforts must be made to systematically inform new immigrants of their health and safety rights, responsibilities and entitlements as they are entering the labour market. Systems must be put in place to ensure that immigrants can access the compensation system in the event of a work-related injury and that employers and healthcare providers fulfil their reporting responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]