Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has published four studies looking at how immigrants selected through Express Entry perform in the labour market after arrival. The headline result is straightforward: compared with economic immigrants selected outside Express Entry, Express Entry immigrants were more likely to be employed, had higher employment income and weekly wages, showed stronger occupational retention and were less likely to move downward occupationally. For employers, however, the more useful part of the research is not that one selection system appears to outperform another. It is what sits underneath those outcomes. The studies draw on the Longitudinal Immigration Database and census linked data and follow outcomes for roughly five to six years after admission. Across the work, the factors that consistently travel with stronger labour market results are familiar ones: official language proficiency, education and Canadian work experience. Pre admission employment earnings also stand out as a strong predictor of later outcomes. That last finding deserves some care.
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