Recent statistics indicate that fewer Canadians are crossing the border into the United States while more Americans are making their way into Canada.

According to a new study by the Association for Canadian Studies, most of the Canadians living in the U.S. are retirees while the American workforce appears to be migrating north in search for jobs.

Last year, about 10,000 fewer Canadians relocated to the United States than in 2005, when a record breaking 30,000 citizens transplanted to the Land of the Free. This drop, however, likely has something to do with the U.S. experiencing one of the most deviant recessions in the country’s history.

Interestingly, the American workhorse is traveling to Canada in search for something it cannot find in America – jobs. The study shows that the number of Americans that have moved to Canada has nearly doubled from an almost 6,000 people in 2000 to about 12,000 in 2008.

That’s because the Canadian job market is becoming more appealing to Americans struggling to find work in their homeland, according to ACS director Jack Jedwab.

"The economy isn't as robust in the States and they may see opportunity here in Canada," he said. "The dynamics have changed a bit in terms of that movement back and forth."

Between 2006 and 2011, Canada received over 45,000 American transplants, with the majority of those moving into Montreal and Edmonton. Yet, more Canadians simply view the United States as a retirement destination – 27 percent of Canadians living in the U.S. are over the age of 65.

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