Children and youth represent the majority of the refugee population in Canada. Many of them will spend most of their lives in Canada and will form families here. How well refugee children and youth adapt to the host society is, therefore, a matter of great concern not only for refugees themselves but also for the host society. The economic adaptation of immigrants and their children is vital for their successful settlement and well-being in Canada. While the number of research studies examining the economic outcomes of refugees is growing, it tends to focus on the adult population, leaving gaps in our understanding of the economic activities of refugee children and youth, particularly their long-term trajectories throughout adulthood. Against this backdrop, this study aims to shed light on the long-term economic outcomes of refugee children and youth.

Using the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) and focusing on newcomer children and youth from Poland and Vietnam, two major source countries of refugee youth in the 1980s and 90s, this study will examine whether the economic trajectories of refugee children and youth are unique compared to those of other newcomer children. The study also considers how other factors, such as gender and source country, affect the outcomes of refugee children and youth.