Quantitative analysis of self-employment among refugees resettled in Canada
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/10.1590/1980-858525038800033109Keywords:
Canada, entrepreneurship, immigrants, refugees, self-employedAbstract
The objective of this article is to analyze the participation in self -employment between refugees reappeared in Canada from a quantitative perspective, as well as identifies the determining factors and the modalities it assumes. Using as a source of information the population census of Canada of 2021, and methods and techniques of descriptive and inferential statistics. The results reveal that refugees hold self -employment rates than the rest of the working population, although with some differences according to birth region, sociodemographic profile and type of self -employment. The work activities they carry out and the services they offer on their own are linked to various economic sectors such as professional, scientific and technical services, wholesale and retail trade, transport and public services, manufacturing and construction, which influences its social integration in that country.
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