Hello Friends,
FYI only,
source:nationalpost.com
The reforms reflect a pledge made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the World Economic Forum in which he said that economic concerns would be the primary driver of Canada's immigration policy. “We will ensure that, while we respect our humanitarian obligations and family-reunification objectives, we make our economic and labour force needs the central goal of our immigration efforts in the future,” he said.
Among recent immigrants, the unemployment rate stands at 12%. Meanwhile, severe labour shortages persist — particularly in the resource and construction booms of the West. The country's labour situation is becoming “desperate,” the Canadian Chamber of Commerce warned last month, estimating that the country faces labour shortfalls of up to 500,000 workers over the next 10 years.
Three weeks ago, the Alberta Coalition for Action on Labour Shortages, a group of major Alberta employers, met for their first meeting. “If there is going to be any limit to the growth in Alberta, it is the lack of people to fill jobs,” Tim Shipton, president of the Alberta Enter-prise Group, said in an interview at the time.