Due to the continuous influx of immigrants, Canada's population growth rate in the first quarter reached the fastest rate since 1990.
A recently released Statistics Canada report stated: "On April 1, 2022, the population of Canada was estimated at 38,654,738 people, an increase of 127,978 people, or 0.3%, from January 1, 2022."
The report It shows that Canada's population growth increased slowly in 2020 due to the impact of the new crown pandemic, but then the growth accelerated.
Most of the increase came from international immigration, which remains the main driver of Canada's population and labor force growth. In the first quarter of this year, Canada welcomed 113,699 immigrants, the highest first-quarter number since quarterly data are available in 1946.
Statistics Canada says strong immigration will be "even more critical to the labor market" as the workforce ages and job vacancies hit record levels.
The Liberal government led by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has formulated an ambitious plan to attract more than 1.3 million new immigrants in the next three years to support economic growth after the epidemic. Last year, Canada welcomed more than 406,000 new residents, the largest annual increase in history.
New data shows that in the first four months of this year, Canada's new permanent population increased by 149,820 people. If the current trend continues, the new permanent population will reach 449,460 by the end of this year. This far exceeds the already ambitious 2022 immigration target.
Two provinces and one territory reach new population milestones
In the first three months of this year, the population of two Canadian provinces and one territory reached new milestones. Ontario's population exceeded the 15 million mark, reaching 15 million 7,816 people; New Brunswick's population exceeded 800,000, reaching 800,243 people; Nunavut's population exceeded 40,000. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Alberta are the provinces with the fastest growing populations, while Yukon has become the only region in the country with a declining population.
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs said the population growth is a sign that the province is stronger than ever after the COVID-19 pandemic, and he was quick to attribute the growth to a surge in immigration.
April 1, Higgs said in his annual provincial address: "Last calendar year, we welcomed more than 8,400 newcomers from other countries. Our team has exceeded all immigration targets, including skilled trades, French speaking ’s new immigrant and international student nominations.”
Higgs also said the province is set for a solid economic recovery. "Last week, BMO recognized that our strong population growth and rapid vaccine rollout have helped us through the pandemic," he said. "Scotiabank said we have a concrete plan to deliver on Maintain a balance while increasing spending cautiously. Royal Bank (RBC) said that New Brunswick has many successful experiences that can be learned.
Immigration numbers this year are expected to exceed record
immigration levels in 2022-2024 (Levels). Plan), Canada’s goal is to introduce 431,645 immigrants this year, 447,055 immigrants next year, and 451,000 immigrants in 2024.
One of the two major drivers of Canadian immigration this year is the one-time, temporary resident to permanent resident (TR-PR) Transitional Resident Program launched last May. Although applications for the TR-PR program closed in early November last year, not all applications have been processed, and the immigration level plan calls for 32,000 new permanent residents to be added through this route this year.
Another program promoting immigration is the Canada- Ukraine Emergency Travel Authorization (CUAET). CUAET was established on March 17 to help Ukrainians who were forced to flee after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. As of June 15, the program had received 312,548 applications, of which 136,877 had been approved. Canada committed to accepting an unlimited number of Ukrainian refugees under the agreement.
The Canada Border Services Agency noted that so far this year, 8,366 Ukrainian citizens and Canadian permanent residents originally from Ukraine have entered by land, while another 43,017 have entered by air.
How much do you know about immigration data?
New Statistics Canada data on immigration and labor supply in Canada also include the following:
Immigrant workers accounted for 84 per cent of total labor force growth and 55 per cent of growth in high-skill and mid-skill jobs during the 2010s. They also offset the decline in low-skilled jobs among Canadian-born workers;
The share of new and recent immigrants has grown fastest since 2010 in transportation and warehousing, professional services, and accommodation and food services;
In 2021, in New immigrants who have stayed in Canada for 10 years or less account for 8% of the total employed labor force;
Canada increasingly relies on temporary foreign workers to fill labor gaps, with the number increasing from 111,000 in 2000 to 777,000 in 2021 People;
About a quarter of temporary foreign workers who came to Canada in the late 2000s and early 2010s became permanent residents within five years of receiving their first work permit;
Compared with more skilled temporary workers Less-skilled temporary foreign workers tend to have higher conversion rates to permanent residence than foreign workers;
One-third of international students who came to Canada in the late 2000s and early 2010s became permanent residents within 10 years permanent resident.
