The Return Migration Patterns of Canadian Seniors: Insights from the 1991 Census Cohort Study
Michael Haan, University of New Brunswick
Zikuan Liu, University of New Brunswick
Ted McDonald, University of New Brunswick
For about half of Canada, nearly 1/3 of all young people leave their birth province to seek opportunities in other parts of Canada (or beyond, although we are unable to look at this in more detail). For the most part, these people left their home provinces with struggling economies for those that were booming. As they retire, however, the need for job opportunities subsides, and it is possible that high rates of youth out-migration in the past will result in return migration in the present and future. Using a unique dataset where 1991 census data are linked to annual place of residence data from 1986-2008, we are able to assess the prospect of a return migration boom by province of birth. Projected return migration patterns will be presented for several birth cohorts, including the baby boomers.
Presented in Session 139: Migration of the Young and the Old