Canadian Organization Asks Government for More Temporary Workers

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) asked Ottawa to take immediate steps to bring in more temporary foreign workers. The organization states that almost 290,000 full- and part-time jobs remain unfilled across the country.

The CFIB, which represents small and mid-sized business, engaged Employment Minister Jason Kenney on Twitter last Thursday. It implored the Minister to provide low-skilled temporary workers with a path to Canadian permanent residency.

“Many CFIB members would like to see lower-skilled TFWs (temporary foreign workers) qualify for permanent residence,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly.

The organization’s estimate of unfilled jobs is somewhat higher than that of Statistics Canada, which recorded 225,000 vacancies in May 2013.

The CFIB contends that the main hurdle to filling jobs is finding qualified workers. For instance, the country’s construction sector has one of the highest vacancy rates, currently at 3.5 percent.