Sociology 339F Immigration and Employment

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Sociology 339FImmigration and Employment

• Instructor Prof. Jeffrey G. Reitz
• Department of Sociology
• Ethnic, Immigration and Pluralism Studies
• Munk Centre for International Studies
• University of Toronto
• Winter, 2006

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Todays Agenda

• Relation to Soc336F - Immigration and Race
  Relations in Canada
• Employment issues in Canadian immigration facts,
  questions, issues, policies
• Institutional and comparative analysis of
  immigration
• Course requirements and practical matters

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1. Relation to Soc336FImmigration and Race
Relations in Canada

• Employment issues key to understanding Canadian
  immigration
• Inter-dependence of institutions
• employment shapes social impact of immigration
• social context affects employment
• Sequence optional

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2. Employment issues in Canadian immigration
facts, questions, issues, policies

• Canada is heavily committed to large-scale
  immigration

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Immigrants to Canada, 1971-2002
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Scale of Canadian immigrationcompared to the
United States, 1906-91
Annually as of pop.
Source Green (1995, p. 48)
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Canadian opinion on immigration levels
If it were your job to plan an immigration
policy for Canada at this time, would you be
inclined to increase immigration, decrease
immigration, or keep the number of immigrants at
about the current level?
Source Gallup Canada, Inc.
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2. Employment issues in Canadian immigration
facts, questions, issues, policies

• Canada is heavily committed to large-scale
  immigration but why?
• Economic growth, population size, population
  aging, multicultural destiny
• Employment success of immigrants is considered
  key to success but do employment policies work?
  
• Selection, settlement, integration
• Immigrants have difficulty, but the second
  generation does better is it enough?
• Policies for second generation?

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Canadian Immigration Myths
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• Myth Toronto was given an award by the United
  Nations as the worlds most diverse city.
• Fact The UN has no such award.
• Fact Diversity has never been measured
  internationally.

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• Myth Canada is a Mosaic, the United States is
  a Melting Pot.
• Fact The United States has no Melting Pot
  policy.
• Fact In polls, Americans are more likely than
  Canadians to say ethnic minorities should
  maintain cultures and traditions.
• Fact Inter-ethnic tolerance is not
  dramatically different in the two countries.

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• Myth Immigrants are a burden on our welfare
  system.
• Myth Immigrants live in monster homes and
  drive BMWs.
• Fact The average earnings of immigrants in all
  groups is below the native-born Canadian average.
  And its declining.
• Fact Immigrants under-use welfare.

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Debates about Canadian Immigration Employment
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Does Canadian Labour Market Need Skilled
Immigrants?

• Perspective 1 Canada needs skilled immigrants
  to grow
• Perspective 2 Labour force size makes little
  difference in a globalizing economy
• Fact skilled immigrants having increased
  difficulty getting skilled jobs in Canada
• Question should we have fewer immigrants? Less
  emphasis on skill? Address problems in labour
  market?

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Does Canadian Labour Market Discriminate Against
Immigrants?

• Perspective 1 Employment discrimination is
  present but not significant in Canada
• Perspective 2 Employment discrimination is
  pervasive in Canada
• Fact research requires careful analysis much
  needed research not conducted
• Question what does available research show? is
  it divisive to focus on discrimination?

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How Significant is Illegal Immigration in Canada?

• Perspective 1 Illegal immigrants are now
  essential to industries such as construction
• Perspective 2 Illegal immigration undermines the
  Canadian immigration program
• Facts no studies of illegal immigration in
  Canada
• Question what does experience of other countries
  show? Can Canada avoid problems encountered
  elsewhere?

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3. Institutional and Comparative Perspectives on
Immigration and Employment

• 1. How is Canada distinctive in immigration and
  immigrant employment?
• 2. If immigrants have been more successful in
  Canada why?
• 3. What can be learned from comparing Canadian
  immigration with other countries?

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Canadian Distinctiveness and Possible Reasons

• Better selection?
• Less Prejudice and Discrimination?
• Multiculturalism?
• Institutions
• Labour markets
• Education
• Welfare
• Values
• Cities
• Politics

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(No Transcript)
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Course requirements and practical matters
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(No Transcript)
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• http//www.utoronto.ca/ethnicstudies/SOC339.pdf

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SESSION TOPICS

• Part 1. Introduction
• 1. Immigration and employment in Canada theory,
  context, issues Jan. 9
• Part 2. Immigration, Ethnicity, and Labour
  Markets
• 2. Human and social capital, and trends in
  immigrant earnings Jan. 16
• 3. Immigrant employment in a knowledge
  economy Jan. 23
• 4. Immigrant skill underutilization Jan. 30
• 5. Racial discrimination Feb.6
• 6. Unions and labour market structure mid-term
  take-home exam questions distributed - Feb. 13
• (Note Reading week, Feb. 20-24)
• 7. Immigrant businesses mid-term take-home
  exam essays due - Feb.27
• Part 3. The Second Generation
• 8. Educational attainment Mar.6
• 9. Employment success Mar. 13
• Part 4. Policy Issues
• 10. Human rights and employment equity
  policy Mar. 20
• 11. Policies for skill transfer and
  utilization Mar. 27

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Required readings

• available at the Library.
• also in a course pack from Alicos Copy, 346 Bloor
  St. West.

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Required work 2 exams, 1 paper

• Exams Two one-week take-home exams consisting of
  two short essays each, due Feb. 27 and Apr. 10.
• Weight 25 each
• Essay A 12- to 15-page essay on an approved
  topic related to immigration and employment in
  Canada.
• Weight 50
• A one-page proposal is due Feb. 27, and the
• completed essay due Mar. 27.
• Guidelines for essays will be distributed and
  posted on the web.

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Plagiarism and Turnitin.com
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Course email policy

• Email should NOT be used for any of the
  following purposes
• to request information made available in class or
  posted on the course website
• to request information in the week prior to due
  dates (questions should be resolved earlier,
  preferably in class)
• to submit term work (submit hard copies only,
  with e-files submitted to Turnitin.com)

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• Next Week Human and Social Capital, and trends
  in immigrant employment success