From the article:
>A new TD Economics report warns Canada is quietly losing highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs and STEM graduates to the United States through work visas, tech recruitment and stronger economic opportunities.
[…]
>Key Takeaways
>* Canada is quietly losing highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs and STEM talent to the United States through stronger compensation and career opportunities.
>* Productivity challenges are being worsened by weak business scale-up, lower venture capital availability and a lack of globally competitive firms.
>* High marginal tax rates and lower income thresholds are creating competitiveness concerns for professionals and business owners.
>* Lower-tax U.S. states such as Texas and Florida continue attracting Canadian workers and entrepreneurs seeking higher growth opportunities.
>* Retaining top talent will require stronger economic competitiveness, improved business investment and better conditions for firms to grow domestically.
Has literally been talk about the brain drain since I was a kid in the 80s. No shit.
Tight-Courage235 on
Yeah, I know three families that are getting set to move to the US. All professionals, all high earners
mathboss on
Gosh. This has *always* been the case.
I got a PhD in a STEM field from a top Canadian university and left to the USA, like most of my colleagues because Canada has essentially no industry or government sector to support highly trained and educated people.
Canada is a joke among developed nations for their ability to retain – through well-paying, interesting work – the highly educated and skilled.
Glanzick_Reborn on
I remember reading about the Brain Drain in the Toronto Star in the 90s. In my field the US is just bigger and had more opportunities (I moved to the US in 2008).
Saisinko on
Always always been the case. It’s not just Canada though.
When Trump came in office, both times, we should have expedited allowing skilled Americans to move Northward instead of prioritizing Tim Horton’s and Dollarama workers, but what do I know?
Ryencoke on
I just started working for a US company (living in Canada still). I understand why. I was offered 2x the salary I was making at a previous very big oil company. I work at a startup and the work is better and pay is exceptionally more.
It makes sense why.
4_sight on
Quick better sell off the airports so no one can afford to leave.
Careful_Lake_3308 on
And most of the Americans that come here are dead weight. Can’t help but think that Canada sends American it’s most educated, while the most useless Americans come to Canada
Jman1a on
This has been happening for over 100 years.
RoyallyOakie on
What year did they pluck this headline from? Some form of it has shown up weekly since at least the 90s.
Dismal-Ambassador143 on
Will TN visa exist after Cusma expires?
Cailloutchouc on
And there’s nothing the political class is willing to do about it. Who knew people would leave for cheaper houses and higher salaries?
Due-Concert4324 on
I am a tech worker and fortunate to make around 450K from GTA. If I didn’t have my family in Canada, I would have moved to the US. We had around 70+ Canadians on the company, and now about 60% have moved to our US office.
Even though the US has a lot of issues, the pay is way way better and the tax system is much more favorable (WA has 0 state tax). I also have 20+ Canadian colleagues who moved to the US right after undergrad. They say, why waste your talent in Canada?
Overall, Canadian companies pay peanuts and there are very few companies that offer high salaries. It is a horrible place for highly ambitious people. Outside of tech, in other STEM fields, it is even worse. I had a few friends in biotech doing PhDs who moved to the US right after graduating. Basically, Canada funded their PhDs and the US is getting the benefits.
PlatypusMaximum3348 on
Canada is no longer a workers haven. No more flexibility
PostGamePong81 on
Yeah the salaries are double in USD for my profession. Hell, entry level positions are paying more than I currently make with a decade in the industry.
MetroidTwo on
This cant be true. I was assured by the elbows up crowd that skilled US workers were going to flock to Canada after Trump made the USA a fascist state.
aedes on
This piece provides no data at all on the net number of educated Canadians moving to the US.
It seems to be a hypothetical opinion piece rather than based on actual data.
Alone-Bug4328 on
Not surprised.
AJMGuitar on
Maybe if we increase taxes that will help
supersymmetry on
I work in finance. NY associates in IB (1-2 years of experience) make more in base and bonus than Directors (two levels above, 8-15 years of experience) or even Managing Directors (15-20 years of experience) in Toronto.
NY Associate: 225k USD base + 50-100% bonus
Toronto Director: 180-200k CAD base + 50-100% bonus
So yeah, if you’re educated and network you can make a lot of money in the US having no experience.
Wolfman-101 on
But but but orange man bad!!! Elbows up!!!
(Waits 19 hours in the emergency room)
No-Heart-3839 on
I remember this exact headline in the mid 80’s when I graduated from University.
CheeseburgerLocker on
We are losing a 130k CAD electrical engineer to a company in salt lake city, where they will be making 220k USD. You just can’t make that sort of money in Canada.
CheeseWheels38 on
I read about this in my social sciences textbook in the 90s.
I also worked in the Bay Area for a while and happily returned to Canada.
D3ATHTRaps on
Tale as old as time
Sandman64can on
Went to Texas in the 90s for economic reasons. Left for quality of life reasons.
timemaninjail on
A economy that is 12-13 bigger than ours that is right beside it.
mattlerenardx on
Earlier this year, at Montreal University UdeM, there were American STEM startups and companies that came to advertise their profession and try to secure the most talented students in STEM. They said the full-time wage starts from 300k USD a year, but that people who succeed the interview have to move to the US.
This is nowhere near what you could hope for getting in STEM in Canada.
figure85 on
I cannot keep up with these headlines. I see articles talking about professionals leaving the US for Canada, people in the medical field, so which is it?
thepixel-geek on
An equivalent STEM job here pays a fraction of what you get paid in the US, and most places in the US are cheaper to live in than our major cities.
roadtrip1414 on
but i thought americans were leaving the MAGA USA for Canada?
mrlimatha on
Well, if the TN visa is scrapped, and/or restrictions can be increased on the TN, L-1, and even O-1 visas, this may help deal with the brain drain. The new memo on the green card update may make it really difficult to obtain permanent residency from a TN visa if it survives in court.
Also, if Canadian taxpayers are funding the education of departing grads in whole or in part, some conditions can be added where a minimum employment period in Canada is required or repay the amount of the subsidy.
Severe_Air_4353 on
Highly unlikely . SOME WHERE NOT THE USA.
O00O0O00 on
We allow low-value workers to enter Canada and push our best out.
Kindly_Professor5433 on
The data just shows the percentage of immigrants who leave the country after X numbers of years.
In my experience, the vast majority of these are returning to their home country.
After 25 years, we’re still retaining roughly 80% of immigrants. And if we cross-reference, 20-25% of new arrivals leaving after 25 years is actually consistent with the figure for the U.S., and perhaps most other countries.
Brain drain obviously happens. But the TD report isn’t well-researched at all. And I honestly don’t think income tax is a major factor for people moving south.
complexomaniac on
This smells like fake news.
Slight-Row-1561 on
I work in healthcare in Canada, and have met MANY American doctors who have moved to Canada in the last few years. believe what you want, but this is BS. People with moral integrity can see clearly that Canada is the better place to live
ZmobieMrh on
This just gets rehashed over and over. We don’t have a significant venture capital business because there is nothing stopping a successful start up from just running off with the money to the US anyways.
No one’s going to start a Canadian ‘y Combinator’ and then just have every investment leave the country. Sure they would still obviously get their money out of any success, but why start that investment here to begin with if the end is the US anyways?
If we don’t ever stop our companies from leaving then all the rest of this just doesn’t matter. They take the venture capital, the people and the innovation with them.
46 Comments
From the article:
>A new TD Economics report warns Canada is quietly losing highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs and STEM graduates to the United States through work visas, tech recruitment and stronger economic opportunities.
[…]
>Key Takeaways
>* Canada is quietly losing highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs and STEM talent to the United States through stronger compensation and career opportunities.
>* Productivity challenges are being worsened by weak business scale-up, lower venture capital availability and a lack of globally competitive firms.
>* High marginal tax rates and lower income thresholds are creating competitiveness concerns for professionals and business owners.
>* Lower-tax U.S. states such as Texas and Florida continue attracting Canadian workers and entrepreneurs seeking higher growth opportunities.
>* Retaining top talent will require stronger economic competitiveness, improved business investment and better conditions for firms to grow domestically.
[HN discussion](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48272749)
I would leave too if I could.
Incoming “BNN bloomberg spreading doomerist, pro America propaganda, everything is fine!”
In reality, Canada is in a rough place. And it’s actively hurtful to the country to pretend like everything is fine.
Yea we know
So like same trend since I’ve been born? I mean I’m one of the statistics tbh
Kind of common sense. Better weather, more opportunities lower taxes, a real health care system. MRI same day. Not a year later.
Been happening for decades. Yes the US is better if youre actually skilled.
Allow me to offer a counterpoint.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-the-trump-administration-is-eroding-the-immigrant-talent-pipeline/
https://www.soc.duke.edu/GlobalEngineering/pdfs/media/americasloss/bw_whyskilled.pdf
https://www.intereconomics.eu/contents/year/2026/number/2/article/america-s-self-inflicted-brain-drain.html
Has literally been talk about the brain drain since I was a kid in the 80s. No shit.
Yeah, I know three families that are getting set to move to the US. All professionals, all high earners
Gosh. This has *always* been the case.
I got a PhD in a STEM field from a top Canadian university and left to the USA, like most of my colleagues because Canada has essentially no industry or government sector to support highly trained and educated people.
Canada is a joke among developed nations for their ability to retain – through well-paying, interesting work – the highly educated and skilled.
I remember reading about the Brain Drain in the Toronto Star in the 90s. In my field the US is just bigger and had more opportunities (I moved to the US in 2008).
Always always been the case. It’s not just Canada though.
When Trump came in office, both times, we should have expedited allowing skilled Americans to move Northward instead of prioritizing Tim Horton’s and Dollarama workers, but what do I know?
I just started working for a US company (living in Canada still). I understand why. I was offered 2x the salary I was making at a previous very big oil company. I work at a startup and the work is better and pay is exceptionally more.
It makes sense why.
Quick better sell off the airports so no one can afford to leave.
And most of the Americans that come here are dead weight. Can’t help but think that Canada sends American it’s most educated, while the most useless Americans come to Canada
This has been happening for over 100 years.
What year did they pluck this headline from? Some form of it has shown up weekly since at least the 90s.
Will TN visa exist after Cusma expires?
And there’s nothing the political class is willing to do about it. Who knew people would leave for cheaper houses and higher salaries?
I am a tech worker and fortunate to make around 450K from GTA. If I didn’t have my family in Canada, I would have moved to the US. We had around 70+ Canadians on the company, and now about 60% have moved to our US office.
Even though the US has a lot of issues, the pay is way way better and the tax system is much more favorable (WA has 0 state tax). I also have 20+ Canadian colleagues who moved to the US right after undergrad. They say, why waste your talent in Canada?
Overall, Canadian companies pay peanuts and there are very few companies that offer high salaries. It is a horrible place for highly ambitious people. Outside of tech, in other STEM fields, it is even worse. I had a few friends in biotech doing PhDs who moved to the US right after graduating. Basically, Canada funded their PhDs and the US is getting the benefits.
Canada is no longer a workers haven. No more flexibility
Yeah the salaries are double in USD for my profession. Hell, entry level positions are paying more than I currently make with a decade in the industry.
This cant be true. I was assured by the elbows up crowd that skilled US workers were going to flock to Canada after Trump made the USA a fascist state.
This piece provides no data at all on the net number of educated Canadians moving to the US.
It seems to be a hypothetical opinion piece rather than based on actual data.
Not surprised.
Maybe if we increase taxes that will help
I work in finance. NY associates in IB (1-2 years of experience) make more in base and bonus than Directors (two levels above, 8-15 years of experience) or even Managing Directors (15-20 years of experience) in Toronto.
NY Associate: 225k USD base + 50-100% bonus
Toronto Director: 180-200k CAD base + 50-100% bonus
So yeah, if you’re educated and network you can make a lot of money in the US having no experience.
But but but orange man bad!!! Elbows up!!!
(Waits 19 hours in the emergency room)
I remember this exact headline in the mid 80’s when I graduated from University.
We are losing a 130k CAD electrical engineer to a company in salt lake city, where they will be making 220k USD. You just can’t make that sort of money in Canada.
I read about this in my social sciences textbook in the 90s.
I also worked in the Bay Area for a while and happily returned to Canada.
Tale as old as time
Went to Texas in the 90s for economic reasons. Left for quality of life reasons.
A economy that is 12-13 bigger than ours that is right beside it.
Earlier this year, at Montreal University UdeM, there were American STEM startups and companies that came to advertise their profession and try to secure the most talented students in STEM. They said the full-time wage starts from 300k USD a year, but that people who succeed the interview have to move to the US.
This is nowhere near what you could hope for getting in STEM in Canada.
I cannot keep up with these headlines. I see articles talking about professionals leaving the US for Canada, people in the medical field, so which is it?
An equivalent STEM job here pays a fraction of what you get paid in the US, and most places in the US are cheaper to live in than our major cities.
but i thought americans were leaving the MAGA USA for Canada?
Well, if the TN visa is scrapped, and/or restrictions can be increased on the TN, L-1, and even O-1 visas, this may help deal with the brain drain. The new memo on the green card update may make it really difficult to obtain permanent residency from a TN visa if it survives in court.
Also, if Canadian taxpayers are funding the education of departing grads in whole or in part, some conditions can be added where a minimum employment period in Canada is required or repay the amount of the subsidy.
Highly unlikely . SOME WHERE NOT THE USA.
We allow low-value workers to enter Canada and push our best out.
The data just shows the percentage of immigrants who leave the country after X numbers of years.
In my experience, the vast majority of these are returning to their home country.
After 25 years, we’re still retaining roughly 80% of immigrants. And if we cross-reference, 20-25% of new arrivals leaving after 25 years is actually consistent with the figure for the U.S., and perhaps most other countries.
Brain drain obviously happens. But the TD report isn’t well-researched at all. And I honestly don’t think income tax is a major factor for people moving south.
This smells like fake news.
I work in healthcare in Canada, and have met MANY American doctors who have moved to Canada in the last few years. believe what you want, but this is BS. People with moral integrity can see clearly that Canada is the better place to live
This just gets rehashed over and over. We don’t have a significant venture capital business because there is nothing stopping a successful start up from just running off with the money to the US anyways.
No one’s going to start a Canadian ‘y Combinator’ and then just have every investment leave the country. Sure they would still obviously get their money out of any success, but why start that investment here to begin with if the end is the US anyways?
If we don’t ever stop our companies from leaving then all the rest of this just doesn’t matter. They take the venture capital, the people and the innovation with them.