Abstract

Using a representative survey of 800 small and medium-sized employers across Atlantic Canada, we empirically tested factors associated with employers’ attitudes toward hiring immigrants. Results showed employers who recently hired immigrants reported more positive attitudes, consistent with our theory that deep contact fosters positive perceptions. Employers in New Brunswick reported less-positive attitudes than those in the other Atlantic Provinces. Public-sector and not-for-profit employers had more positive perceptions than private-sector and for-profit employers. The coefficients for the rural/urban divide showed expected signs but were statistically insignificant. We interpret our findings and suggest implications for policy and practice.

摘要

我们对加拿大大西洋地区 800 家中小型雇主进行了代表性调查，实证检验了与雇主雇用移民态度相关的因素。结果显示，最近雇用移民的雇主报告了更积极的态度，这与我们的理论一致，即深度接触可以促进积极的看法。新不伦瑞克省雇主的态度不如其他大西洋省份积极。公共部门和非营利性雇主比私营部门和营利性雇主有更积极的看法。城乡差距的系数显示出预期的迹象，但在统计上并不显着。我们解释我们的发现并提出对政策和实践的影响。