How are the Children of Visible Minority Immigrants Doing? An Update Based on the National Household Survey

This paper examines the performance of the children of immigrants (called 2nd generation immigrants) to Canada using data from the 2011 National Household Survey, which was administered along with the 2011 Census. An encouraging fact revealed by the data is that 2nd generation visible minority immigrants are becoming more highly educated than both 2nd generation non-visible minority immigrants and non-immigrants: 53.4 per cent of 2nd generation visible minority between 25 and 44 with employment income had earned university certificates or degrees compared to only 35.4 per cent of non-visible minority 2nd generation immigrants and 25.2 per cent of non-immigrants in the same age groups. But, while 2nd generation visible minority immigrants obtained more education than 2nd generation non-visible minority immigrants and non-immigrants, their performance as a group did not measure up so well in the labour market. In the 25 to 44 age group 2nd generation visible minority immigrants earned on average $42,206, which was higher than the $40,431 earned by non-immigrants, but less the $49,202 earned by 2nd generation non-visible minority immigrants. The results from this study are broadly in line with its predecessor (Grady, 2011), but offer more encouragement for an improved performance of 2nd generation visible minority immigrants