Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

This study aimed to examine the association of underemployment (unemployment or overqualification) to self-rated mental health: 1. in workers 18-64yrs in Canada (excluding full-time students and those with long-term physical or mental conditions limiting work activity), and 2. between a. immigrants and Canadian-born workers, and b. recent immigrant (in Canada <10yrs) and long-term (in Canada 10 yrs or more) immigrant workers. The study sampled 53 409 workers from the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.1 (2003). Underemployment was positively associated with fair/poor mental health for workers in Canada. The association of unemployment to fair/poor mental health was similar for immigrant and Canadian-born workers, but there were differences in the association of overqualification to fair/poor self-rated mental health between immigrant and Canadian-born workers. There was a significant association of overqualification to fair/poor mental health for immigrant, but not for Canadian-born workers. This suggests a different experience of overqualification, and need for tailored health and employment policies and programs for immigrant workers. This research highlights the underemployment as a socioeconomic status measure of particular importance to reducing mental health inequities between immigrant and Canadian-born workers. It suggests the need for a whole of government approach to minimize societal exclusion of immigrants selected based on their education and experience.