Sustaining the Canadian Labour Force Alternatives to Immigration

Increasing the annual rate of immigration is one option for maintaining Canada’s economic growth potential—but it is not the only one. Sustaining the Canadian Labour Force: Alternatives to Immigration notes that we could also draw more heavily on the under-represented portions of our national population for growth in the Canadian workforce, such as Aboriginal people, visible minorities, immigrants already in Canada, women, disengaged youth, and people with disabilities. As well, faster increases in productivity would lead to stronger economic growth, and the conditions are ripe for an improvement in Canadian productivity growth.

Still, the briefing concludes, while these and other options are available and should be pursued, immigration remains one of the most effective instruments available for underpinning Canadian economic growth over the medium term.