Income of international students staying in Canada to work increased
In what industries do graduates earn the most?
They began issuing open work permits for up to three years to graduates of Canadian universities in 2008. In 2014, graduates were allowed to work full-time while they waited to hear from the Department of Immigration.
Statistics Canada examined the labor market participation of immigrant graduates who received work permits after graduation from 2008 to 2018.
The number of international students in Canada has more than tripled, from 101,304 in 2008/2009 to 318,153 in 2018/2019. The annual number of new graduates receiving work permits increased more than sixfold, from 10,300 to 64,700.
The number of graduates with work permits who reported earnings increased more than 13-fold in a decade, from 10,300 in 2008 to 135,100 in 2018. Their earnings rose from $14,500 CAD (in 2018 dollars) in 2008 to $26,800 CAD in 2018. As a result, three-quarters of graduates with work permits in those ten years stayed in Canada for permanent residency.
In 2018, graduates working in Northwest Territories had the highest average earnings, slightly less for those working in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Graduates in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island earned the least.
In the decade from 2008 to 2018, the highest income growth was for graduates who worked in Newfoundland and Labrador, slightly less for those who worked in Quebec and New Brunswick. The lowest income increases were for graduates who worked in Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba.
In 2018, average incomes were highest for graduates employed in mining and oil and gas, as well as utilities and public administration. Those graduates who worked in the hotel and tourism industries, retail trade, real estate, and educational services had the highest income growth from 2008 to 2018.
Still, in 2018, statistics show that graduates earned the least in the fields listed above: educational and administrative services, waste management, hospitality and tourism, catering and retail trade. Only real estate sales and rental agents increased their income in line with the rise in housing prices. This difference in income across sectors corresponds to the difference in wages for native Canadians as well.
