Study Ranks the Top 50 Canadian Cities for Migrant Workers From Coast to Coast
Canada has a lot to offer expat workers. Our country features some of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders, multicultural cities and exciting career opportunities. With so much to offer it’s not a surprise that workers from around the world are now calling Canada home.
The Conference Board of Canada recently published a study ranking the top Canadian cities for international newcomers. Like our country, the list is actually quite diverse.
Click here to read The Conference Board of Canada’s Study.
Let’s start at the top. Canada’s most appealing cities for expats are Waterloo, Calgary, Ottawa, Richmond Hill, Vancouver and St. John’s. That means that our most prosperous places for international workers covers from coast to coast. Overall, the study elected Calgary as Canada’s ideal expat destination.
Attracting a skilled international workforce is a key element in a city’s growth and development. Cities that fail to attract such talent will sometimes struggle to develop and remain vibrant. Cities offering centers of innovation and diverse career options often place themselves higher on skilled expat lists.
Cities known for their former glorious manufacturing sector are now ranking near the bottom of expat wish lists. Brantford, Cambridge, Oshawa, Windsor and Trois-Rivieres all fit this category.
The board took factors including society, health, economy, environment, education, innovation and housing options into account when conducting their study. Data was gathered from recent census information. Fifty Canadian cities were analyzed as part of the study.
So what makes Calgary so great? Calgary’s ranking was fueled by both its economy and innovation. The city still ranked in the top spot despite low rankings for education, health and environment. The study concluded that Calgary’s weaknesses are partly due to a rapid increase in population. It seems that public services are not keeping up to the area’s growth.
Ottawa’s second place ranking results from the Capital’s highly educated workforce. A high education level in combination with a strong economy fueled by government jobs has created an interesting private sector that appeals to many international workers.
As a surprise to many, the study ranked Toronto as the 13th most desirable city. Toronto, Oakville, Markham and Mississauga were given an overall ‘B’ grade. The report applauded the region’s cultural diversity, but graded its innovation, health and environment at a lower level. Other cities in this category include Burnaby, Edmonton, Halifax, Kingston, Quebec City, Regina, Victoria, Winnipeg and many other cities across the country.
Montreal found itself lower portion of the list with an overall ‘C’ grade, ranking an unimpressive 33rd overall.
Many wouldn’t consider Newfoundland a top destination for international workers, but the data disagrees. Newfoundland’s recent oil industry growth has created many exciting career opportunities. St. John’s has the second-best ratio of general practitioners and specialists per 100,000 people. As a result, the city is ranked second overall in health and is one of only two cities to get an “A” in this category.
As relocation professionals we know first-hand the value migrant workers can add to a community. You may not agree with the rankings, but they provide an interesting snapshot of what overseas workers are looking for before they arrive in Canada. Every situation is unique, but skilled workers are looking for cities that offer interesting and well paying jobs along with strong social services. We specialize in making the relocation process smooth for both employees and employers. Information is always key in a successful employee relocation and studies such as this are a great starting point for many expats thinking about locating to Canada.
Here is the complete ranking list of the top Canadian cities for migrant workers:
“A” GRADE
Calgary
Ottawa
Richmond Hill, Ont.
St. John’s, Nfld.
Vancouver
Waterloo
“B” GRADE
Burnaby, B.C.
Coquitlam, B.C.
Edmonton
Halifax
Kingston, Ont.
Markham, Ont.
Mississauga, Ont.
Oakville, Ont.
Quebec City
Regina
Saskatoon
Victoria, B.C.
Winnipeg
“C” GRADE
Burlington, Ont.
Gatineau, Que.
Guelph, Ont.
Kelowna, B.C.
Kitchener, Ont.
Laval, Que.
Levis, Que.
Longueuil, Que.
Moncton, N.B.
Montreal
Richmond, B.C.
Sherbrooke, Que.
Surrey, B.C.
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Vaughan, Ont.
“D” GRADE
*These cities are “struggling to attract newcomers,” the Conference Board says.
Abbotsford, B.C.
Barrie, Ont.
Brampton, Ont.
Cambridge, ont.
Guelph, Ont.
Hamilton, Ont.
Oshawa, Ont.
Saint John, N.B.
St. Catharines, Ont.
Sudbury, Ont.
Trois-Rivieres, Que.
Windsor, Ont.
