Why
We Were Formed:
Canada
is one of the most plural countries in the world. And with the latest
wave of immigration over the last few decades, Canada’s demographics
have been changing significantly.
According to Statistics Canada’s 2002
survey, almost one quarter (23%) of Canada's population aged 15 and
over, or 5.3 million people, were first generation, that is, they were
born outside Canada. Not since 1931 has the proportion of people born
outside the country been this high.
Nearly half (46%) of the first
generation in Canada, or 2.4 million people, had only non-European
ethnic ancestry in 2002, while about one third (31%) had only European
ancestry (other than British or French). Another 13% reported only
British, French and/or Canadian origins and 10% reported other origins,
Statistics Canada reported.
Meanwhile, the Aboriginal people's share of
Canada's total population is on the rise. Just over 1.3 million people
reported having at least some Aboriginal ancestry in 2001, representing
4.4 % of the total population. In 1996, people with Aboriginal ancestry
represented 3.8 % of the total population.
These and other demographic trends are set to play a major role in the
future development of Canada.
During the past decade, three key factors have shaped
the
nation’s workforce: A demand for skills in the face of advancing
technologies and the "knowledge-based economy"; a working-age
population that is increasingly made up of older people; and a growing
reliance on immigration as a source of skills and labour force growth.
The demand for skills has been clearly evident in new
data
from the 2001 Census. Between 1991 and 2001, the number of people in
the labour force increased by 1.3 million. Almost half of this
growth occurred in highly skilled occupations that normally require
university qualifications, while low skilled occupations requiring high
school or less accounted for only a quarter of the increase.
At the same time, the workforce has become much
“greyer”. The
average age of the labour force rose from 37.1 years in 1991 to 39.0
years in 2001.
By the end of the decade, 15% of the labour force was
within
10 years of retirement age. By 2011, when almost one fifth of the
baby-boom generation will be at least 61 years of age, the potential
exists for shortages in certain occupations.
In addition, rates of fertility have remained at low
levels
for the past 30 years. As a result, fewer young people are entering the
working-age population to replace individuals in the age group nearing
retirement. In 2001, there were 2.7 persons in the 20-to-34 age group
in the labour force for
every participant aged 55 and over, down from a ratio of 3.7 in 1981.
Canada has increasingly turned to immigration as a source of skills and
knowledge. Census data show that immigrants who landed in Canada during
the 1990s, and who were in the labour force in 2001, represented almost
70% of the total growth of the labour force over the decade. If current
immigration rates continue, it is possible that immigration could
account for virtually all labour force growth by 2011.
These
significant demographic changes bring major implications for the
social, cultural and economic life of Canada. Among the issues raised
as a result of the changes are those of inclusion, respect
for diversity, and harmony. The DiversityCanada Foundation was formed
in
order to play a pivotal role in ensuring such issues are addressed and
are managed in a way that they contribute to Canada's development.
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