Skill underutilization among immigrant women with a nursing education

Christoph Schimmele and Feng Hou

Economic and Social Reports from Statistics Canada, Analytical Studies and Modelling Branch

Abstract: Canada is experiencing a nursing shortage as the demand for nurses has grown faster than the supply of people with a nursing education (Baumann & Crea-Arsenio, 2023). There were 21,000 job vacancies for registered nurses and 10,000 vacancies for licensed practical nurses in the first quarter of 2025 (Statistics Canada, 2025). Internationally educated nurses (IENs) are a potential solution for easing these shortages (McGuire-Brown, 2025). A study by Statistics Canada researchers published in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal examines how place of education is associated with the underutilization of immigrant women with a nursing education (Schimmele & Hou, 2024). The study used data from the 2021 Census of Population and focused on immigrant women aged 25 to 64 years who were educated to be licensed practical nurses, registered nurses or nurse practitioners, which are occupations that require a licence to practise. Immigrant women identified as underutilized workers were those who had a nursing education but were employed in non-health occupations or in health occupations requiring less education than they had obtained.

Keywords: skill underutilization; immigrant women; nursing education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J23 M21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-10-22
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202501000001e

DOI: 10.25318/36280001202501000001-eng

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