Well-educated and trained Chinese professionals immigrating to Canada face barriers in nding jobs. To understand this wastage of human capital, we see entry to the professions as mediated by frameworks. The social construction of careers in uences the demand for labour. Human capital is a social construct de ned by certi cation procedures in Canada and by the way Canadian employers perceive appropriate matches of jobs and job applicants. Their demand for people with 'Canadian experience' blocks entry into higher-level jobs. The study interviewed thirty-two couples in 1999-2001 using qualitative methods to learn about their experiences nding jobs in Toronto.

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