Immigration and the Economy Experiences and Perceived Impact of Immigrants

Immigration has long been central to Canada’s economic and demographic strategy, with governments and business groups emphasizing its importance in addressing an aging population and declining birth rate. However, attitudes shifted after the pandemic, with more Canadians than at any point in the past two decades saying there is too much immigration. Despite having higher average levels of education than Canadian-born workers, immigrants experience lower employment rates and earnings, with internationally educated professionals in health care and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields frequently unemployed or working below their skill level.

To better understand how lived experience shapes views on immigration, this report explores how first-generation immigrants differ from children of immigrants and non-immigrants in their perceptions of immigration levels, economic contributions, job opportunities and the state of the economy. Using survey data, we examine attitudes toward immigration and the workplace realities of immigrants, offering insight into how personal and generational context influence economic outlooks and public opinion.

The findings show that about 70% of individuals in Canada believe that there is too much immigration, with regional variation ranging from 79% in Calgary and Edmonton to 61% in Montreal. First-generation immigrants are less likely than second-generation and non-immigrants to view immigration as excessive. Nonetheless the majority of Canadians view its economic impact favourably, with perspectives differing by occupation, working conditions and demographics. Respondents with a university degree (57%) are the most likely to view immigration positively, compared to those with a college diploma (47%), a trades certificate (44%) or a high school education or less (45%).

Perceptions on the state of the economy and employment prospects vary across groups. First-generation immigrants report the highest satisfaction with life and work in Canada, yet they are the least likely to say that it is a good time to find work. Moreover, first-generation immigrants, especially recent immigrants, express higher concern about job security, automation and external economic pressures such as U.S. tariffs. However, economic anxieties are widespread, with about 83% of those surveyed reporting concern about the state of the economy, a trend that is consistent across all groups.