Overview

Abstract (English)

KEY POINTS: * There are few significant differences when it comes to labour force participation based on language skills, but there are significant differences in earnings based on language skills. * More than half of immigrants who speak English or French very well or fluently find work in a field related to their education / training, compared to less than 1 in 5 for immigrants with poor language skills. * For both men and women, after 4 years in Canada, poor language ability leads to unemployment rates double those of male and female immigrants who can speak English or French “very well”. * There are substantial differences in workplace ethnic composition according to language skills: immigrants with poorer spoken English or French are more likely to work with a higher proportion of people of their own cultural/ethnic group. * Immigrant women fare worse than their male counterparts, both over time and across language skills, in all measured labour market outcomes. Gender differences are accentuated for women with poorer language skills, while those with strong language skills have outcomes closer to their male counterparts.

Abstract (French)

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