Economic adaptation of refugees in Canada: experience of a quarter century.

This paper examines the economic adaptation in terms of employment and income for 400000 refugees mainly displaced persons Hungarians Czechoslovaks Ugandan Asians Chileans and Indochinese in Canada during the last 25 years. The author looks at 1) east in obtaining a first job 2) unemployment 3) wives employment 4) job search techniques and 5) occupation. Economic climate largely determines the time needed to find a first job. 55% of Hungarian refugees in 1957-58 found a job within a month; only 30% of Czechoslovak refugees in 1968-69 found a job within a month. Refugees and regular immigrants have higher unemployment than native Canadians; but the rate drops dramatically within a few years. Employment and unemployment for refugees is influenced by 1) prevailing labor market conditions 2) English and/or French language proficiency 3) sympathy by the population for the refugees 4) support by people of the same ethnic group and 5) the refugees own adaptability. Survey results show that more refugee wives are employed than Canadian born wives; over 69% of Chilean refugee women worked in 1975-76. Most refugees use the Canada Employment Center and informal channels such as "word of mouth" and friends and relatives to find jobs. Lack of qualifications and experience and lack of language proficiency hinder many refugees in finding jobs for which they have trained. Income is an indicator of the success of refugee economic adaptation. Refugees like regular immigrants have lower than average income levels in their first years in Canada; however they often earn more than the Canadian born after the difficult first years. Family incomes because of female labor force participation may widen the differences even more. Although many refugees are not working in their intended professions most refugee groups have adjusted well economically in Canada.