StatsCan: Job mismatch among core working age immigrants with postsecondary education

Another informative study:

…Recent immigrants more likely than established immigrants and persons born in Canada to experience job mismatch

In September 2024 and September 2025, among core-aged workers with a postsecondary diploma or degree, immigrants (25.2%) were more likely to report being overqualified for their job overall compared with persons born in Canada (19.1%).

The longer an immigrant had lived in Canada after becoming a permanent resident, the less likely they were to report being overqualified, and recent immigrants were most likely to indicate being overqualified for their job (32.6%). Among established immigrants—persons who had become permanent residents more than 10 years earlier—this proportion was 22.4%, much closer to the share observed among persons born in Canada (19.1%).

Across almost all measures, recent immigrants had higher rates of job mismatch than both established immigrants and persons born in Canada. The only exception was the proportion of workers who reported having more skills than needed in their jobs, which was fairly similar among those born in Canada (29.1%), recent immigrants (30.7%) and established immigrants (28.7%).

The pattern of decreasing levels of job mismatch as landed immigrants spend more time in Canada aligns with previous research showing that the labour market outcomes of immigrants tend to improve as they integrate the Canadian labour market over time or pursue additional studies in Canada.^Note 8

LFS data show that the share of workers with a postsecondary diploma or degree working in a job requiring a high school diploma or less has been higher among recent immigrants compared with persons born in Canada and established immigrants since the beginning of the data series in 2006. This pattern persisted in September 2024 and 2025, but it should be noted that the share of recent immigrants who faced this type of job mismatch was at its lowest level from 2020 to 2025,^Note 9 coinciding in part with the tight labour market conditions of the post-COVID recovery. For more information on the recent labour market experiences of immigrants see: Labour market experiences of recent working-age immigrants and non-permanent residents, 2019 to 2024…

Source: Job mismatch among core working age immigrants with postsecondary education