The Labour Market Experiences of African Immigrants in Canada Through an Intersectional Lens


Zainab Olayinka, University of Saskatchewan

Despite being highly skilled and educated, African immigrants in Canada face notable challenges in securing fulfilling employment, as opposed to easily obtaining “survival jobs”. While conventional human capital theory attributes these differences in labor market outcomes to variations in education, training, and experience, sociological research suggests that factors such as race, gender, class, and ethnicity play a significant role. This study aims to explore the complex interplay of social identities shaping the employment experiences of African immigrants and investigate the individual strategies employed by both men and women to integrate into the labor market. Through a qualitative approach involving 31 in-depth interviews with African immigrants in Saskatoon, the research addresses the following questions: What are the lived experiences of African immigrants in the Canadian labor market, and in what ways are their experiences influenced by intersecting social locations? What strategies and negotiations do African immigrants engage in to facilitate their labour market integration? In the preliminary findings, it is evident that the labor market experiences of African immigrants are intricately influenced by a confluence of factors. An exclusive examination of singular aspects such as race, gender, ethnicity, or religion cannot fully describe these experiences. The nuanced impacts of these identities vary over time and space. Notably, within specific professions, the intersection of race and gender emerges as a facilitator for labor market integration. In comparison with women, the experiences of men appear to be less complex. However, even within this observation, variations emerge as certain factors, such as family structure, age of children, and adherence to religious practices, introduce additional layers of intricacy, with Black African married women with younger children and those wearing the hijab facing notable challenges.

This paper will be presented at the following session: