Immigrants’ Satisfaction With Regional Employment: A Human Agency Perspective

Abstract

Attracting and retaining immigrant workers is a challenge in Canadian regions, where many employers face labor shortages. Based on an agency framework, this study explores immigrants’ satisfaction with settling in a region and how they have engaged, are engaging, or plan to engage in strategies to improve their work and life satisfaction. The results of focus group discussions and interviews with 41 immigrants enable us to classify them in a two-by-two table: satisfied, unsatisfied, work-oriented, and community-oriented. As agents, immigrants develop two broad strategies that impact their satisfaction: cognitive and behavioral. Our results put forward several benefits for employees, employers, communities, and society.