Profile 1 vs 6 Profile 2 vs 6 Profile 3 vs 6 Profile 4 vs 6 Profile 5 vs 6 Coef. Sig. Coef. Sig. Coef. Sig. Coef. Sig. Coef. Sig. Intercept -1.966 * -2.470 * -2.552 -1.937 -1.824 Selection grid items Age 0.653 * 0.052 0.717 0.000 -0.122 Level of education (ref. University, PhD) High school or less -0.759 0.635 0.152 -0.128 -0.076 Postsecondary education -1.803 *** -0.238 -0.787 -0.968 -0.907 University schooling, undergraduate -2.037 *** -0.596 -1.447 * -1.299 * -1.230 * University schooling, graduate studies (MA) -1.759 *** -0.672 -1.141 -0.868 -1.657 ** 2nd specialization 0.221 0.063 -0.550 -0.255 0.310 Privileged education 0.576 ** 0.808 *** 0.503 0.381 0.384 Selection category (ref. Employability and professional mobility program.) Professions in demand in Quebec 0.529 * 0.442 0.442 0.306 0.124 Other (exemption and assured employment) 1.586 *** 0.676 0.291 0.310 0.531 Work experience 0.294 0.344 -0.245 -0.188 0.442 Knowledge of French 0.505 0.964 0.522 0.128 0.914 Knowledge of English 0.720 ** 0.410 0.109 0.236 0.737 Postsecondary education in French 0.604 * 0.913 ** 0.359 0.268 0.620 Personal suitability 0.702 0.864 0.702 1.006 -0.717 Motivation -0.417 -0.755 0.317 -0.290 -0.542 Knowledge of Quebec -0.190 -0.324 -0.538 0.060 0.227 Visits to Quebec (ref. None) To work or study 1.350 *** 0.314 0.918 * -0.063 0.458 Other 0.599 * 0.542 * 1.018 ** 0.148 0.479 Social ties with Quebec (ref. None) Relatives 0.393 -0.199 -0.381 0.327 -0.032 Friends -0.455 * -0.052 -0.084 0.239 -0.296 Presence of a spouse (ref. No) -0.816 -0.400 -1.874 -0.887 -0.309 Spouse’s age 0.298 -0.033 -0.651 0.437 0.231 Spouse’s level of education -0.363 0.688 0.406 0.158 -0.439 Spouse’s work experience 0.898 * 0.151 1.879 * 0.669 0.805 Spouse’s knowledge of French 0.410 0.530 0.757 0.276 -0.458 Presence of children -0.310 -1.245 * 0.476 -0.410 -2.609 ** Other socio-demographic characteristics Gender (ref. Female) 0.444 * 0.166 0.063 0.035 0.294 Region of origin (ref. Western Europe and USA) Maghreb -1.361 *** -0.670 * -0.644 0.049 -0.493 Eastern Europe and former USSR -1.114 *** -0.127 -0.360 0.160 0.185 East Asia and Oceania -1.173 *** -0.834 -0.549 -0.686 -0.090 West Asia and Middle-East -1.856 *** -0.632 -1.048 -0.474 0.042 Americas (excluding USA) -1.979 *** -0.767 -0.527 -0.342 -0.698 Africa (excluding Maghreb) -1.217 ** -0.362 0.239 -0.757 -0.371 N : 1409 LL : -1988.99 DF : 165 LR χ2 : 452.02 *** Pseudo-R2 : 0.102

Towards the Integration of Immigrants in Quebec’s Qualified Workforce:Towards the Integration of Immigrants in Quebec’s Qualified Workforce:An Overview of the First Years Following Their Arrival and the Effects of Selection PoliciesAn Overview of the First Years Following Their Arrival and the Effects of Selection Policies

FIG. 3 - Proportion occupying a qualified job by profile during the first three years following arrival

0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1

1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101

106

111

116

121

126

131

136

141

146

151

156

Time (weeks)

Pro

po

rtio

n

Profile 1

Profile 2

Profile 3

Profile 4

Profile 5

Profile 6

FIG. 4 - Distribution of immigrants in qualified jobs based on the six different profiles

Profile 58%

Profile 49%

Profile 37%

Profile 213%

Profile 123%

Profile 640%

Research questionsResearch questions

Are immigrants able to obtain and maintain jobs commensurate with their education?

How does their presence in the qualified workforce evolve over time?

What kind of effect do selection policies have on their presence in the qualified workforce?

BackgroundBackground

The majority of immigrants (55%) who settle in Quebec are skilled workers selected on a point system basis.

Selection criteria are based on adaptability, language proficiency, credentials, work experience, immigration programs, age, spouse’s profile and presence of children.

MethodsMethods Survey on skilled migrants in Quebec (n=1,541) Enquête sur les travailleurs sélectionnés (ETS)

• Survey data on the post-migration job history• Retrospective data covering 1 to 5 years of settlement

• Administrative data on points obtained on each item of the selection grid

Definition: Job qualification is determined by comparing the educational requirements for a given position (based on the National Occupational Classification) to the level of credentials upon arrival.

Various methodological approaches were taken to illustrate different aspects of the presence of migrants in jobs that match their credentials:

• Event history analysis

• Time series

• Sequence analysis

• Multinomial logistic regression

ResultsResults

ConclusionsConclusions

Not all migrants are able to easily find and maintain jobs that match their academic credentials.

Local experience at all costs? For these newcomers, accepting an underqualified job might mean never finding a job commensurate with their education.

Selection policies only have a limited impact on the presence of migrants in the qualified workforce, despite the fact that the government tries to select candidates with the highest potential for labor market integration.

Future research will need to focus on the dynamics of settlement and the conjectural impact on the presence of migrants in the qualified and underqualified workforce.

FIG. 1 – Labor market transitions of skilled workers in Quebec

0,0871 A 0,0410 B

(184) 0,1110 (148)

0,0207 C

0,1181 (79)

unemp_1 UQ_2 0,1021 D

0,4757 (225) 0,5800 (102)

Q_1 0,0531 E

0,3019 (44)

0,0208 F

0,2176 (40)

unemp_1 0,0263 G

UQ_1 UQ_2 0,2742 (25)

0,3702 (543) 0,2593 (108) UQ_3 0,0388 H

0,4044 (33)

Q_1 0,0099 I

0,1038 (10)

0,0101 J

0,1785 (28)

unemp_1 0,0190 K

Q_1 0,3338 (10)

0,1540 (62) UQ_2 0,0110 L

0,1931 (12)

Q_2 0,0170 M

0,2986 (13) Arrival

0,1379 N

0,2541 (325)

0,0112 O

0,0584 (58)

unemp_1 UQ_1 0,0279 P

0,3537 (226) 0,1458 (24)

Q_2 0,1527 Q

0,7958 (144)

0,0069 R

0,2771 (12)

unemp_1 0,0035 S

Q_1 UQ_1 0,1406 (3)

0,5427 (783) 0,0459 (21) UQ_2 0,0125 T

0,5032 (5)

Q_2 0,0019 U

0,0791 (1)

0,0751 V

0,3999 (118)

unemp_1 0,0397 W

Q_2 0,2114 (34)

0,3463 (211) UQ_1 0,0071 X

Q_# : qualified job_rank 0,0382 (5)

UQ_# : underqualified job_rank Q_3 0,0658 Y

unemp_# : unemployment_rank 0,3505 (54)

TAB. 1 – Multinomial logistic regression for the effects of selection criteria on the profiles of immigrants in qualified jobs

Only 54% of immigrants have access to a qualified job as their first employment experience in Quebec.

Once they have had an underqualified job, they will most likely stay in this type of job, and vice versa.

After three transitions on the labor market, 66% of immigrants will have obtained jobs that match their skills.

The proportion of immigrants in qualified jobs increases over the first three years of settlement, the most significant increase occurring during the first year.

In Quebec, the proportion rises from 45% in the first year, to 55% by the end of the third year.

Six profiles of immigrants in qualified jobs were identified.

Among these profiles, two of them show a direct access to qualified jobs within the first year and an ongoing presence afterwards. Together, these two profiles represent 36% of the sample.

The other four profiles raise questions about the ability of skilled workers to find and maintain jobs that match their credentials.

They either show a late onset (profile 4: 9%), an intermittent presence (profiles 3, 5: 7% and 8% respectively) or a complete lack of qualified jobs (profile 6: 40%).

The selection grid plays a minor role (10%) in determining the profile.

The items of the grid best explain the two profiles of immigrants who are able to obtain and maintain a qualified job within a year. Their effect mostly refers to characteristics of human capital.

Immigrants who are not of Western European or American origin face greater difficulty accessing and maintaining jobs that match their skills within the first months of settlement.

The selection grid has very little impact on the last four profiles, despite the fact that these individuals all qualified for immigration.

Karine Bégin, Jean Renaud

Université de Montréal

FIG. 2 - Proportion of skilled workers in a qualified job, in an underqualified job, or unemployed during the first three years of settlement

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101

106

111

116

121

126

131

136

141

146

151

156

Time (weeks)

Pro

po

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Unemployment

Underqualified job

Qualified job

* p<0.05; ** p<0.01; *** p<0,001