Study suggests immigration will remain strong in the post-pandemic world
Immigration is a key driver of the Canadian economy and has slowed in the past year due to the pandemic.
But, assuming things continue to improve, foreign workers will once again consider Canada among their choices. In fact, Canada ranks above other nations according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
It found that the pandemic has had a major impact on how foreign workers consider where they could move to. Those countries that have done better are favoured.
Canada’s relative success in containing the virus has seen it switch places with the United States. Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore are also popular choices while many European destinations have lost some appeal due to the EU’s less-effective containment measures.
That said, the overall willingness of workers across 190 countries to move abroad has weakened to 50% from 57% two years ago.
"Restrictive immigration policies have already weakened the mobility trend," said Rainer Strack, one of the authors of the study and a senior partner at BCG. "COVID is a new variable that is making people cautious about considering international relocation. And with the rise of remote working, many may feel that they can further their careers virtually, without needing to move at all."
Tech sector challenges
Canada has seen significant growth in tech sector companies in recent years but, unsurprisingly, this is one of the sectors where workers are most likely to favour remote working.
Seventy-one percent of people with digital or analytics backgrounds said they would be willing to work for a company with no physical presence in their own country. So did 67% of people with IT and technology backgrounds.
