Immigrants are getting a lot more of the work done on P.E.I. than they were just a few years ago, census figures released Wednesday from Statistics Canada show.

The percentage of immigrants and non-permanent residents in the P.E.I. workforce rose from 6.9 per cent in the 2016 census to 13.3 per cent.

In real terms, the census counted 11,075 immigrants and non-permanent residents in the workforce, an increase of almost 6,000 over 2016.

The increase was particularly dramatic among non-permanent residents, up from 670 to 4,175.

While the growth has been strong, the percentage of immigrants in the P.E.I. workforce is still well below the Canadian average. Across Canada, 29 per cent of the workforce is made up of immigrants and non-permanent residents.

It is not just about more immigrants on the Island. More immigrants are joining the workforce.

In 2016, just 58.7 per cent of immigrants and non-permanent residents on P.E.I. were either working or looking for work. That was 8.3 percentage points lower than the rate for non-immigrants. In 2021 it was much higher, 71.1 per cent versus 65.1 per cent for non-immigrants.