Newcomers and the Labour Market

COSTI Employment Services

Newcomers play a pivotal role in Mississauga’s labour market growth, actively engaging in the workforce and occupying positions across various sectors. Their diverse skills and experiences enrich the business community. Moreover, many newcomers contribute to entrepreneurship by establishing businesses, providing employment opportunities and making positive contributions to the community.

The job market in Peel Region saw improvement in 2023, with slight increases in both the labour force and employment rates compared to 2022, as per data from the Peel Region Dashboard of Economic Indicators and Statistics Canada. Key occupations in demand include administrative positions, sales, accounting and transport truck drivers.

Peel Region experienced a 5.6% population growth since 2021, reaching 1.5 million residents, with nearly 50% residing in Mississauga. According to the 2021 census, approximately 53% of Mississauga’s population are newcomers, totaling 379,425 individuals. Among them, 13.8% arrived between 2016 and 2021, while 45.8% fall between the ages of 25 and 44.

For more than 70 years, COSTI has established collaborative relationships with business communities throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to assist job seekers. Partnerships between nonprofits like COSTI and businesses are essential. They provide innovative workforce solutions, linking job seekers with businesses, benefiting both, for example:

• Efficiently streamlining employer hiring via quick candidate screenings.

• Preparing workers for roles and offering job retention support. Bridging employment gaps through training and upskilling initiatives.

• Creating career pathways in growth industries for job seekers.

COSTI’s Mississauga Employment Centre assisted more than 1000 clients in 2023, comprising of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and refugees. Services offered include career coaching, resume writing, job matching and training. The center actively fosters partnerships with the business community, engaging in meaningful conversations and collaborative efforts to meet employers’ hiring needs.

The benefits of a strong collaboration between COSTI and businesses are evident in our work. Such partnerships generate mutual benefits for jobseekers and employers, enriching individuals, communities and society at large.

If you are seeking to fill positions, we’re here to help at no cost to you. If you have job openings or are interested in learning about training subsidies, contact us at: mississaugaemployment@costi.org .

To learn more, visit COSTI.org.