Overview

Abstract (English)

This paper explores the diverse pathways that have resulted in the differential employment of immigrants in the port-logistics sector in the BC Lower Mainland. We have chosen to look at the port-logistics sector as a whole because it is so important to the regional and national economy. The port – often taken in public discourse to mean the waterfront and marine terminals – alone cannot operate efficiently without connecting infrastructure, warehouses, trucks, and workers. Examining how immigrants find employment in the various segments of a single but diverse sector can add to our overall understanding of immigrant labour market outcomes. How do immigrants find work in the subsectors that comprise port-logistics in the BC Lower Mainland? How do pathways to employment differ by industry subsector and occupation? What are the implications of this differentiation for immigrant labour market outcomes and policy? We focus on how patterns of immigrant employment in the port-logistics sector are related to the pathways by which people are recruited into the sector. The industry-focused and process-oriented approach adopted here aims to provide insights into the workings of the labour market that can guide the design of recruitment, training, and retention strategies that support immigrants in finding positions that provide stable and career-building employment for the long-term. We combined quantitative and qualitative analysis. Analysis of census microdata from 1991 to 2006 identified immigrant employment patterns and outcomes. Employment life-histories of immigrants in various subsectors, as well as interviews with employers, unions, training and immigrant service organizations uncovered the processes behind the census numbers.

Abstract (French)

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