kiran’s pensieve

Aging workforce a tidal wave ready to hit economy

This was an interesting article about Canada’s aging population, that is not being replaced with children at the same rate. RESP’s, child tax credits, public healthcare, open immigration policy, these are all methods in which the government is trying to raise the numbers of the Canada’s youth population. As a G8 country with universal health care and high living standards, it’s quite an ominous thought that if the human “refill rate” in Canada remains the same, that within the next 10 years, “Canada may have more people at the age where they can leave the labour force than people at the age where they can begin working,”.

That doesn’t sound good.

Extending the working lives of everyone over a certain age is not only not going to solve the problem, it could make things worse. Ever seen an 95 year old drive? But seriously, after having worked for all these decades, the generations of people approaching their later years should be allowed some rest and reprieve, wouldn’t you agree?

We have to profoundly change the way people work. We have to create ways for, and encourage people to work at their jobs from home at least part of the time. This will allow more people to work, like older people who are still willing to work but want or need flex-time and flex-place arrangements, This will also bring back to the work-force many stay-at-home moms and dads, as well as others who are home-bound for one reason or another. We have to change the way we think about WORK before this dilemma has a chance of being unravelled.

Kamikaze immigration policies are also inept. And not just because though they bring in countless scores of talented, qualified immigrants, once here, these immigrants find themselves segregated from the inside workings of the business and government environment, and unable to get the licensing or financing needed to use their talents to perform to their fullest potential. Instead, educated doctors drive our taxis, trained accountants bag our groceries, experienced pediatricians wash our laundry, highly capable attorneys sell us knick-knacks at flea markets, and MBA holding bank tellers count our loose change.

Another giant gaping hole in our immigration policy, is the lack of any official way for any Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident to sponsor his or her siblings. This might seem like a strange turn of words, but just hear me out.

We are told all the time that the government is trying to bring in more and more skilled immigrants to join the workforce. We also read a lot about how the reunification of families is a very important priority of the immigration policies. Most Canadians who do sponsor a family member sponsor either their spouse, their children, or their parents. Spouse and children, I understand. And parents, of course, who wouldn’t want to help their parents get settled in Canada, considering all the diversity, the social services and the culture of enlightenment that is quite obviously pervasive to anyone who observes. But, let’s face it, parents get old. They get sick, and then they usually get very sick. Now, they’re in Canada, and the older they get, the more they will rely on the social services paid for by taxpayers. As time goes by, aging parents also can easily overwhelm the financial capacities of the child who helped bring them to Canada. This is where siblings come in.

Siblings are usually people of a similar age as the sponsor. It goes by logic that most people’s siblings, in general, would be able to work and contribute to the growth of the economy. Sibling sponsorships would provide additional, desperately needed, support to both the sponsor, by helping take care of mom as she gets older; and to the country as a whole, by shouldering some of the financial burden and paying taxes.

Some may point to the Skilled Workers category through which a person could apply to come to Canada. This may work for some people, but for many, especially those whose siblings are very young, or in their teens, or just starting out in their career; and for many others who cannot qualify for any non-criminal reason, this is simply not the solution.

Others may say that you can sponsor your siblings under 22 within the same sponsorship application that you use to sponsor your parents. But what if your sister is 23 and just starting out her career as a math teacher (a field with heavy shortages in Canada). What about a new Canadian’s 25 year old brother, who grew up impoverished just like her, and did not get to attend higher level studies that are required to apply as a Skilled Worker, but who is ambitious, talented, motivated and hard working with tons of potential? One can find many instances of valuable and motivated people who are siblings of Canadians being needlessly shut out of immigration policy .

If parents who are our blood relatives can be sponsored even though they will inevitably, and very soon become more and more of a economic liability, why not also allow the sponsorship of siblings who are also blood related to us, and who can actually help relieve some of that growing liability? Canada needs more youth of all ages, not just babies. Canada needs robust, hard working, ambitious and creative people who are hungry to work and make money. Every single immigration application in Canada goes through a long and lengthy background and medical check process. The same rules and procedures would apply for brothers and sisters whose Canadian relatives sponsor them.

Despite all its immigration management issues, and its high scrutiny when it comes to immigrants, even the Yanks allow their people to sponsor their brothers and sisters as part of their family.

It is time to look at our immigration policies using the Big Picture, and ask ourselves, is it possible that we are missing out on many very important present and future resources by not allowing Canadians to sponsor their siblings?

The aging population issue in Canada will not go away but telling people to reproduce more and faster. A mass exodus will occur from the workforce starting in 2011 when the first of the baby-boomers (those born between 1946 and 1965) start to turn 65. That’s 4 years away! And babies take a while to grow up and start working. We need people here who are able and willing to work today, and we need to help them do what they do best.

Along with genuinely empowering the qualified, skilled and experienced people who are already here, Canadian policy needs to become open to sibling sponsorships. After all, taking care of our elderly parents is in the hands of us all. And brotherly love and sisterly support will be most needed in the times we are all approaching.