Provision of employment-related settlement services and relationship with paid employment for immigrants in Canada

Immigrant workers are overly represented in high risk and precarious jobs that are not commensurate with their background, skills and experience. Some evidence exists to suggest that access to employment-related (ER) supports and services in the community can help leverage job opportunities. This study examined the association between use of government-funded ER services and paid employment of immigrants to Canada. ER service records were linked with immigration and taxation records for individuals who immigrated to Canada between 2015-2017. The cohort was restricted to immigrants with no paid employment in their year of landing to examine the direct impact of ER service (measured as any ER service, intensity of service and type of ER service) on subsequent employment. The outcome of subsequent employment in the year following ER service provision was estimated using adjusted logistic regression models. Immigrants displayed a higher odds of paid employment the year following the ER service for individuals that accessed any ER service (OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.49 to 1.65), across the measures of ER intensity (ranging from OR = 1.26; 95%CI, 1.09 to 1.45 at the lowest intensity percentile to OR = 2.21; 95% CI, 1.95 to 2.52 at the highest intensity percentile), and by type of ER service (essential skills and aptitude training, OR = 1.35; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.96; short-term intervention, OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.49 to 1.66; long-term intervention, OR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.95) compared to immigrants who did not access ER services. This study finds that access to an ER service is associated with paid employment. It highlights key services that should be promoted to facilitate employment integration but also potential barriers to integration that warrant further investigations.