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During the first first half of 2021, Canada had closed its borders to many other countries in order to prevent the covid-19 infection to spread quickly and to ensure the safely of its citizen. This temporary lock down resulted in the slowdown of the economy and a decrease in the overall productivity. This also made it very difficult for Canadian employers to hire the required skilled foreign workers, leading to an increase gap in the job market. The need for certain kind of employees with specific skills was growing and the workforce available at that moment was decreasing, the only solution to resolve this issue, is for the country to open its borders, with certain conditions so the foreign skilled workers could immigrate in a safe manner. It was near the end of the second quarter of 2021 that most of the provinces in Canada decided to lift the lock-down mainly in order to re-boost the production, the consumption, the productivity and the economy, generally.over time the situation in Canada has been improving now the country is in the post pandemic phase, which means there is a constant increase in the demand for foreign workers in various industries. Based on the season and the consumption demand of the citizens and expats, the demand for foreign worker will be very high in these industry: Agriculture, construction, hospitality and food processing. Below are the top 5 occupations that require foreign workers during this season and the different reasons why the requirement for skilled international worker is high
- Farm workers
Canada is know for its large and dominating agricultural sector, the fruits and vegetables they grow aren’t only for the Canadians but also for international buyers. Canada must grow a lot of consumable in order to export them to other countries as it is the world’s largest exporter of wheat. The country must invest a lot in its agriculture as it has to export to United States, China, Japan, Mexico and Indonesia. With the agriculture sector constantly growing, mainly due to the launch of a new program that requires around two thousand new and young farm workers; in addition to the shortage of agricultural workers the country is already facing. Not only young Canadian farm worker, the farm owners will also need foreign workers in order to fill in the employment gap.
- Fish and sea food plant worker
Summer is the season that requires a huge amount of workers in the fish and seafood sector, particularly in the Atlantic regions such are New Brunswick, Nova Scotia… after the government’s initiative of making investments to help the local businesses in this sector leading to the creation of many jobs hence a high demand of workers. According to recent news from CBC Canada workers from the seafood processing sectors “will be part of the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out.” this step taken by the P.E.I. Health officials will ensure not only the safety of the existing workers but also encourage both employers to hire more foreign workers and foreign workers to apply for jobs in Canada.
- Construction
As Canada is in the recovery phase of the pandemic, the requirements for construction workers will increase. The country’s construction industry is expected to grow and draw around two to three hundred thousand new workers, as many experienced workers will retire in the coming years. A study done by the Ryerson University, states that “More low-skilled workers should become permanent residents” as the need for foreign workers in this class will keep increasing in the coming years. Many Atlantic provinces such as Nova Scotia are implementing new strategies to enhance the immigration of foreign workers in the construction sector, as it was predicted that huge development in the construction sector.
- Hospitality
With the summer season around the corner, the hospitality industry is equipping itself for the busiest time of the year by hiring thousands of new employees. Now that the majority of the provinces are opening up, numerous hotels and restaurants are re-opening their doors, leading in a high increase of 58% of foreign workers in this sector. BNN Bloomberg states that “restaurants hit by labor shortage as economic reopening gathers momentum” numerous restaurant owners in Canada are looking workers with specific skills and are unable to find them locally, reason why the arrival of new immigrants in this country will act as a key to economic recovery. The Canadian government is loosening its rules in regards to the entrance of full time foreign workers and temporary foreign workers.
- Food processing
According to recent news the demand of workers in the food processing industry has substantially increased caused by a new funding launched by the government in order to announce the wide range of job availability in this sector, offer virtual career fairs, hands-on experience and much more. As of 31st March 2021, the Canadian government will focus on immigration programs for food processing workers in order to meet mainly Quebec’s and also other provinces’ labor market needs. Many Canadians are in favor of the idea of permanent immigration pathways for temporary foreign workers as they are important for the agricultural sector. The pilot program in the food processing sector will be available, as of now, only till end of summer 2021 (31st October 2021).
Job requirements for foreign workers in certain sectors may arise long after the summer period is over, such as the construction industry and the food processing industry. Many long term projects that require a large amount of workers may go on for a year or two. In regards to the food processing industry, new worker will keep getting hired as the government is encouraging immigration to Canada resulting in a high consumption of food products. The Canadian government is launching new immigration programs for various sectors in order to ease the migration process of foreign workers as this is essential to keep the Canadian economy strong. The arrival of international workers in Canada will be beneficial for its economic growth, support the aging workforce, provide more skilled workforce and create more job opportunities.
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