Ahead of the announcement of the government’s new immigration targets on November 1st, The Star spoke to UBC Geography professor Dan Hiebert about how immigration impacts the Canadian economy.
Although immigration does not lead to an increased GDP per capita, it helps boost the country’s overall productivity and consumption, Hiebert said.
In the 1980s, two people would enter the workforce for everyone who retired. In 2011, the ratio was 1:1, but last year, it was down to 0.88:1, meaning the workforce has actually shrunk, Hiebert added.
“Taking the major economic downturn aside, we definitely can use a significant number of immigrants going forward. The question then becomes when do you get back to that? Do you delay until you see the labour market improve or do you get out in front of that and get back to that level right away?” he asks.
“I don’t think there’s an easy answer. It’s one of those contingency things. My guess is Minister Mendicino is going to go quickly rather than slowly, like in the 1990s. If you bring them in, they are going to propel the recovery rather than slow it down,” Hiebert said.
Read the full article at The Star Vancouver.
