Syed Khan – December 14, 2021
According to the report, vacancy rates in small businesses depend on the size of the organization. The smaller the company, the higher was its vacancy rate. Small businesses with 1 to 4 employees had a vacancy rate of 5.5% while large businesses having over 100 employees had a rate of 2.6%.
Small businesses in provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick reported the highest % of labor shortages with 64% and 60% respectively.
By sector, construction and transportation were worst affected by labor shortages, with 74% and 68%, respectively.
Canada’s tight labor market is forcing many companies to offer regular Covid-19 testing over vaccine mandates, while provinces like Quebec others are reversing previously announced inoculation requirements even as Omicron variant cases rise. (Source: CNN)
How can Immigration conciliate the tight labor market?
In a worrying statement made by the report, by 2050, Canada will have lost a significant portion of its working-age individuals and its future workforce. If the labor market approach and policies do not change, this shortage will be crippling for Canada’s economic growth. Immigration is one of the solutions towards reducing shortages but it needs to be streamlined and improved to attract more newcomers to work and settle down in the country.
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is one such innovative program that allows Canadian employers the ability to temporarily hire foreign nationals in order to fill shortages in Canada’s labor force. It also ensures the rights and protections of these foreign workers.
Under this program, temporary foreign workers can be hired through the following streams:
- Global Talent Stream
- Foreign Agricultural Workers
- High-Wage Workers
- Low-Wage Workers
- In-Home Caregivers
- Foreign Academics
The biggest requirement towards a TFWP is the Labor Market Impact Assessment. Any employer or business looking to hire a foreign national through TFWP must first obtain an LMIA demonstrating that they were unable to find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position. Only after obtaining this document can the employer officially hire a foreign national, thus enabling the newcomer to apply for a Canadian work permit or PR.
However, despite the popularity of TFWP, only 16% of the businesses used this program to hire. They stated that it was time-consuming and expensive for them to use as certain occupations do not qualify.
Improving the TFWP is needed, as it would allow for more pathways towards Permanent Residency and encourage more immigrants with better skills to apply for these jobs.
Efforts made by the IRCC:
The IRCC, in previous announcements, has stated that it will accept 40,000 permanent residence applications from international students who have graduated from a Canadian institution. In May, the IRCC launched 6 new temporary streams and announced that it would be accepting more applications than ever in the following sectors:
| Name / Type of occupation | The number of applications to be accepted: |
| Temporary workers in the healthcare sector | 20,000 |
| Temporary workers in non-healthcare essential occupations | 30,000 |
Canada has also announced an ambitious Immigration Levels Plan for 2021‒2023 that aims to bring in a record number of permanent residents and boost the economy.
| Immigration Plan target: | Year: |
| 401,000 new immigrants | 2021 |
| 411,000 new immigrants | 2022 |
| 421,000 new immigrants | 2023 |
The full report by CFIB can be read here ( https://content.cfib-fcei.ca/sites/default/files/2021-12/labour-shortages-are-back-with-a-vengeance_1.pdf )
If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need
