One of the most popular myths is that low birth rates demand high immigration. Canada might not be growing like the third world, but is it indeed a dying country? In an article entitled “The year ahead” immigration lawyer Ryan Rosenburg analyzed Canada’s demographic scenario. He stated:
“By comparison, according to Statistics Canada, Canada’s current birth rate is approximately 1.1 per cent (381,000 births) and our current death rate is approximately 0.72 per cent (247,000 deaths).” This equals 134,000 people (381,000-247,000) each year. He then explained:
“With a national population of 34 million people, 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents in 2011 represents approximately 0.70 to 0.78 per cent of our current population. In 2006, Statistics Canada estimated Canada’s population at 30 million people and at the time 240,000 to 265,000 new immigrants represented approximately 0.80 to 0.88 per cent of our then population.”
Upon more careful analysis and examination, it is observed that this isn’t even close to the reality. A Canadian high school math wiz with a bad case of zits and crooked glasses simply subtracted 34 million in 2010 from 30 million in 2006. That totaled four million people over a 4-year period. Thus 4 million people divided by 4 years equaled one million people per year. Therefore the average population growth for Canada between 2006 and 2010 wasn’t 0.80 to 0.88 at all. It’s a lot closer to 3.18% each year or 866,000 people and remember to add in an extra 134,000 Canadians from natural growth (births minus deaths). Since 2006, Canada’s population had increased by 1 million people each year. Doesn’t Canada have a labor shortage in key sectors? Isn’t Canada’s labor force simply disappearing like an endangered tropical rain forest?
“Unemployment in Canada, as of May 2002, was almost 8 percent, a number that included many well –educated post – secondary graduates. Moreover, a large group of young workers have just begun entering the labor market. These are the baby – boom echo, the offspring of the boomers. They were born between 1980 and 1995 and, at 6.5 million, they are the second – largest population cohort in Canada, after the boomers themselves. A steady stream of echo boomers will be looking for their first jobs between now and 2015. Why make their entry into the labor force more difficult by bringing in armies of competing workers from abroad?”
