Understanding Job Status Decline among Newcomers to Canada.

Problems related to the recognition of skills and education acquired by immigrants abroad and their ability to translate them into similar work and income in Canada are well-known. What is less known is the extent to which skills are devalued in the Canadian labour market. Data from the Western Canadian Settlement Survey1, a random sample of over 3,000 newcomers to western Canada, provides insights into the extent to which job status decline occurs. This paper attempts to quantify, insofar as possible the mismatch between education and skills attained abroad by comparing prearrival and post-arrival job statuses amongst newcomers to Canada who have been in the country for five years or less. Using a dual labour market perspective, our results reveal that there is, in fact, a significant decline in job status for newcomers, which is influenced by province of residence, place of education attainment, and length of time in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]