Thank you for the question.
Mr. Chair, when we talk about immigration and the role it plays in supporting the labour market, it is one of many tools that is available to employers and to Canadians. The role of school leavers was mentioned in terms of entering the labour market. They now represent the overwhelming majority of new entrants into the labour market.
With the demographic trends we're looking at, it is true that immigration will become more important as a source of both population and labour force growth, but I think we also have to look at immigration in the context of other labour market, industrial, and social programs--for example, employment insurance, as well as investments that employers make in terms of machinery and other capital investments for productivity gains. There are a number of factors that would come into play in looking at longer-term trends and projections, certainly factors that fall well beyond my department as well as the government or governments in general.