Pakistani Canadians - Economics

Economics

• Employment

Most Pakistani Canadians work as professionals or in skilled trades. Many Pakistanis are self-employed and own small businesses. Those who came to Canada from Pakistan via East Africa or the Gulf are more likely to be involved in business. A number of Pakistani Canadians are also traders and are primarily involved in exporting and importing goods to and from Pakistan. A few substantial enterprises are also owned by Pakistani-Canadian entrepreneurs. A small number of them own factories in Pakistan and are engaged in importing Pakistani manufactures. Others have established textile mills in British Columbia and Ontario and are involved in multinational trade. Canada’s economic relations with Pakistan have shifted from aid to trade in the past decade. A number of Pakistani-Canadian businessmen and companies have participated in this development.

• Labour Force

The Pakistani-Canadian labour force is dispersed, with no concentration in a particular kind of work, and there are no large Pakistani businesses that employ substantial numbers of Pakistani workers. The incomes of Pakistani Canadians are generally comparable to the national average. For the immigrant generation a number of problems – underemployment, difficulties in having their credentials accepted, concerns about bias in gaining employment, a glass ceiling on advancement once a job is secured – reflect the continuing challenges of settlement. For many, the transition has been relatively easy, but others have had to sacrifice a fully satisfying personal life in order to provide the opportunities that are now available to their Canadian-born children.

Pakistan is among the top 5 countries for skilled workers entering Canada.

• Income

The incomes of Pakistani Canadians are generally just above the national average. Some incidence of poverty may be present among the newer immigrants (especially in Toronto), who tend to take low-paying jobs often due to a lack of 'Canadian experience'. Members of the family and the larger community tend to take care of each other, and to assist in times of economic need. Hence, it would be more common to turn to a community member for economic assistance rather than to a government agency. Relatively low levels of the community are therefore on welfare and public assistance, contrary to what many believe.

• Poverty

According to the 2005 census data for Canada, 44 percent of Pakistani-born immigrants in Canada were below the poverty line, being the second most poor group of immigrants in Canada, with many engineers, doctors and doctorates working as taxi drivers or security guards. Only 55 percent of Pakistani-born immigrants owned a home, and 44 percent lived in households with five or more people. On an average, the wages of Pakistani-born immigrants were 70 percent of that of Canadians.