The latest report claims that Quebec’s temporary workers have multiplied in eight years. The growth in terms of temporary immigrants primarily occurred through two programs:
- The International Mobility Program
- The Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Institut du Quebec published a report the previous month depicting that the province’s temporary resident growth happened by 46 percent last year. Also, most of this progress in the number of temporary residents occurred primarily due to the flow of temporary workers.
Specifically, Quebec consisted of 167,435 temporary holders of work permits in 2023. This implies that there were four times the number of temporary work permit holders in 2015.
Quebec’s temporary workers have multiplied in eight years – Exploring a few details about the growth
The IDQ report toward the latter half of 2023 indicates that the number of temporary residents in Quebec was 528,034. Furthermore, the report states that Quebec’s temporary resident population comprised 117,745 international students. A majority of them have the right to work here, along with asylum seekers last year.
Montreal Gazette’s story on February 26 this year revealed the above numbers, along with nearly 167,000 temporary work permit holders who had worked in this province in 2023.
The IDQ confirms that the number of temporary foreign workers who gained employment in Quebec was 43,770 in 2015. This indicates a rise of over 280 percent over eight years. The progress level is partially due to the province’s temporary immigration programs that don’t have fixed limitations as opposed to permanent immigration across Quebec.
The economists who published the IDQ report provided this conclusion. Typically, PR immigration has a limitation of 50,000 individuals each year. However, Quebec has never fixed a limit on temporary residents. In reality, new temporary immigrants contributed to 1.8 percent of the population in Quebec last year. IDQ has revealed this data.
Two programs are responsible for this growth of temporary residence in Quebec
The report also stated that the growth in Quebec’s temporary resident population was primarily due to the International Mobility Program and the TFWP. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program permits employers to welcome foreign nationals to fill the vacancies. On the other hand, the IMP is a federal program that invites a number of temporary residents to a province, such as international graduates.
The International Mobility Program was the province’s most significant source of TFWs last year. In 2023, the province consisted of 107,615 permit holders. Meanwhile, Quebec’s TFWP brought forth 59,820 temporary immigrants in 2023.
The impact of this growth on Quebec’s employment structure
According to the IDQ, Quebec’s labor pool grew between 2015 and 2023 due to immigration. It further revealed that 384,000 newcomers in Canada, 272,000 new PRs, and 112,000 temporary immigrants came to the forefront of the provincial workforce during the same period. Meanwhile, 54,000 workers born in Canada left the province’s labor force.
In the last year, IDQ observed that new arrivals in Quebec were the sole reason behind the 100,000 working individuals. This indicates thrice the rise witnessed between 2015 and 2022.
Although the results are positive, the IDQ has brought forth multiple challenges with this newfound truth.
The IMP doesn’t primarily work to fill vacancies. Moreover, IDQ confirms that 23 percent of participants in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program were agricultural workers last year. The report also showcased that incoming temporary residents in Quebec have been unable to combat the current provincial issues in the employment industry. These particularly indicate the extreme labor shortages within the healthcare and construction sectors.
Meanwhile, due to the aging population and the government trying harder to manage the housing crisis, thousands of vacant job positions in the two critical sectors remained unfilled last year in the third quarter. This implies 45,000 jobs in the healthcare sector as well as 10,000 jobs in the construction sector. According to the IDQ, the TFWs remain under-represented in both sectors.
IDQ’s Executive Director Emma Braham revealed other prominent challenges, including wages and working environments. In reality, the healthcare sector often witnesses only a few working temporary immigrants.
Further, this data indicates that the province-wide economic decrease has overlapped with the growth. Meanwhile, Quebec’s unemployment rate has increased from 4 to 4.5 percent.
The response of Quebec’s provincial government to the recent boom in Quebec’s temporary workers
According to an important source, temporary immigration has seen a drastic boost, while Quebec couldn’t tackle the situation due to a lack of preparation in specific areas, including housing or public amenities. In addition, Quebec must operate to correct the labor shortages prevalent in chief industries. The province can ensure this by emphasizing international hiring missions explicitly for healthcare and construction.
Additionally, the province must enhance its approach toward foreign credential recognition and employee competencies in the construction as well as healthcare sectors. It must even focus more on arranging data concerning temporary immigration. As a result, the government will enable new policies that are more appropriate for the economic requirements.
IRCC and Quebec’s government collaborate to welcome more TFWs to Quebec
Typically, IRCC provides Quebec with unique power regarding the selection of candidates compared to other Canadian provinces. However, Quebec’s employers must secure an LMIA (unless they are LMIA-exempt) while hiring a foreign national worker, while possessing a temporary work permit.
Quebec’s employers must not only submit an LMIA but also a Quebec Acceptance Certificate. Hiring a foreign worker must impact the labor market either positively or neutrally. A CAQ confirms that the MIFI agrees with the assessment. However, CAQs are not essential for Quebec jobs lasting up to 30 days or less.
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