Study: International student graduates' labour market early outcomes—Results from the National Graduates Survey

Of international students who graduated in 2020 and who were still in Canada in 2023, 88.6% were employed. In comparison, the 2023 employment rate for 2020 graduates who were not international students was 91.0%.

Today, Statistics Canada is releasing the study "International student graduates' labour market early outcomes: Results from the National Graduates Survey," which examines the labour market of international students who completed a postsecondary education program in 2020.

The study covers 83,300 international student graduates who remained in Canada after completing their studies in 2020 and did not pursue further postsecondary education. International students accounted for just under one-quarter (24.0%) of all 2020 graduates.

International student graduates are less likely than their Canadian counterparts to be employed three years after graduation

Most (88.6%) 2020 international student graduates who remained in Canada and did not continue their studies were employed three years after graduation. However, their employment rate was lower than that of Canadian graduates (91.0%), suggesting a more challenging school-to-work transition for international students.

In 2023, the difference between the employment rates of international student graduates and Canadian graduates was larger at the bachelor's level (84.5% for international student graduates; 91.9% for Canadian graduates). Similarly, significant gaps were observed at the master's (91.3% for international student graduates; 94.6% for Canadian graduates) and doctoral (90.6% for international student graduates; 94.2% for Canadian graduates) levels. No significant difference was observed among college graduates.

International student graduates with a bachelor's or master's degree are less likely than their Canadian counterparts to find a job corresponding to their level of education

One way of determining whether graduates are getting a job that matches their level of education is to examine whether their current level of education matches that required for the job they have.

In 2023, international student graduates with a college diploma or a doctorate were just as likely as Canadian graduates with the same level of education to work in a job matching their level of education.

However, international student graduates with a bachelor's or master's degree were less likely than their Canadian counterparts to hold a job corresponding to their level of study. For example, in 2023, 36.6% of international student graduates with a bachelor's degree held a job that typically requires a university degree (bachelor's, master's or doctorate), compared with 58.8% of their Canadian counterparts.

International student graduates earn less than Canadian graduates

Consistent with past research, the median annual employment income of international student graduates who worked full time in 2023 was lower than that of Canadian graduates.

This situation was true for all levels of study, but the difference was most notable at the bachelor's and master's levels. In 2023, for example, the median annual employment income of international student graduates with a bachelor's degree ($52,000) was 20.2% lower than that of Canadian bachelor's graduates ($65,200). Part of this difference can be explained by the differences in occupations between international student graduates and Canadian graduates; indeed, international student graduates with a bachelor's were over three times more likely to work in sales and service occupations (30.6%) than Canadian graduates (9.5%).

Despite certain challenges in the labour market, international student graduates reported having similar levels of overall job satisfaction (81.0%) and perceived job security (75.8%) compared with Canadian graduates (82.0% overall job satisfaction; 79.1% perceived job security) in 2023.

However, international student graduates reported having lower rates of salary satisfaction in 2023. For example, at the bachelor's level, 48.7% of international student graduates were satisfied with their salary, compared with 58.0% of Canadian graduates.