Employment Insurance: Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia: Economically, immigrants in Nova Scotia are doing better than those in other parts of Canada. Immigrants here have higher average incomes, lower unemployment rates and depend less on employment insurance. In addition, immigrants in Nova Scotia are more likely to work in their fields than those in other regions. Over the last several years, the immigrant retention rate has continued to rise, with about 75 per cent of all immigrants to Nova Scotia staying here. This is a significant improvement over the previous decade, when only about 48 per cent stayed, according to The Chronicle Herald. There are also other reasons for our improved retention rate. The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration has always focused on retention and has carefully designed programs to attract those who will be able to settle and integrate in our province. In addition, for several years, it has been funding more targeted settlement programs both onsite as well as online across the province and around the world, pre-arrival. These programs provide very specific and practical support for improving English and pre-employment skills and With a new provincial government prepared to make immigration a priority for Nova Scotia, just what is the current situation? The answers may be surprising. Clearly, this is a good-news story that is not told often enough. Most people prospective immigrants included expect that newcomers would do better economically in larger centres with significant ethnic communities. However, research shows that immigrants in small centres may in fact benefit from not being part of large ethnic groups. Those in small centres improve their English language skills more quickly, as they are more immersed in the language. While immigrants in large cities often find work quickly through their ethnic networks, that work is frequently in the form of survival jobs with low pay and not much chance of advancement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.