According to the new statistics Canada report, healthcare and social assistance sectors have the highest retention rates for temporary foreign workers (TEWs) who gain permanent residency.
The study revealed significant variation in retention rates across different sectors, showing how many TEWs continue working in the same field after obtaining PR.
Which industries retained the most workers?
The table below highlights the retention rates of temporary foreign workers (TEWs) who continued working in the same industry after obtaining permanent residency (PR) from 2011 to 2015.
| Industry | Stayed 1 Year After PR | Stayed 5 Years After PR |
| Healthcare and Social Assistance | 81.4% | 64.9% |
| Utilities | 80.3% | 58% |
| Finance and Insurance | 77.1% | 55.2% |
| Public Administration | 72% | 51.2% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 70.4% | 49% |
| Manufacturing | 74% | 48.9% |
| Construction | 70% | 47.3% |
Which sectors had the least worker retention?
The table below shows industries with notably lower retention rate, highlighting the percentage of worker who stayed after receiving permanent residency (PR).
| Industry | Workers Remaining After 1 Year | Workers Remaining After 5 Years |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 36.7% | 8.7% |
| Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing | 46.2% | 19.4% |
| Other Services | 45.5% | 20% |
| Administrative Support, Waste Management, and Remediation | 54.3% | 21% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting | 52.8% | 24.1% |
Why does retention rate matters?
Retention in industry is crucial, as PR is often granted based on occupation, directly addressing labour market needs.
By keeping workers in these sectors, labour shortages in specific regions and industries can be alleviated.
For both businesses and individuals, retention is more efficient, minimizing resource waste on retraining.
What factors lead workers to change industries?
Workers may change industries due to factors such as:
- Wage levels
- Working conditions
- Job stability
- Skill requirements
Low retention rates often reflect lower employee satisfaction, as more engaged workers tend to stay longer.
What was the total retention rate?
The study found that, one year after becoming permanent residents, 68.4% of TFWs stayed in the same sector.
However, five years later only 43% remained in the same industry.
In what way does the work permit program affect retention?
Industry retention rates varied significantly across work permit programs.
Higher-skilled temporary foreign workers had the highest retention at 53.4% followed by infra- company transfers at 51.4%
In contract, live in caregivers saw the lowest retention rate, rate with only 28.6% remaining in the same industry five years after gaining permanent residency.
What was the method behind conducting the study?
The study focused on TFWs who held paid work permit jobs (WPRs) and transitioned to PR between 2011- 2015.
Reasons for leaving the industry included:
- Switching to a different industry
- Starting their own business (self-employment)
- Becoming unemployed
- Not appearing in tax records.
