As of December 1, 2013, there were 338,189 temporary foreign workers in Canada. This number has increased significantly from 2005, when foreign workers numbered 140,668.

The majority of foreign workers enter Canada only after a Labour Market Opinion and Work Permit has been obtained for their position. A Labour Market Opinion, issued by Employment and Social Development Canada, grants a Canadian employer permission to hire outside of Canada. A Work Permit allows an employee, covered by an LMO, to perform work in Canada on a temporary basis.

According to the Globe and Mail, which drew information from Statistics Canada, foreign worker specializations are broken down into the following categories:

Sales and Service – 70,520

Primary Industry Occupations – 42,595

Trades, Transport, Equipment Operators, etc – 36,680

Art, Culture, Recreation, Sport – 16,300

Natural and Applied Sciences – 14, 125

Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities – 9,110

Management – 3,875

Business, Finance, and Administration – 2,885

Health – 2,540

Social Science, Government, Religion – 2,455