Days before the Liberals release their latest spending plan, the federal government has eased rules on temporary foreign workers in some areas of the economy desperately in need of employees.
The changes announced Monday will allow employers to hire foreign workers for more low-wage jobs, and in areas where the unemployment rate remains high.Higher-wage, highly skilled workers will also be able to secure three years of employment eligibility instead of two, which the government says would also give them an easier path to permanent residency.
The changes only make it easier for employers to bring in low-wage workers with few rights, instead of addressing the need for decent work and full immigration status, said Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. The country lost three million jobs at the onset of the pandemic over March and April 2020, but has since recovered all that was lost and then some: As of February, the country was 1.9 per cent, or 369,100 jobs, above pre-pandemic levels recorded in February 2020.
The government could address those concerns by ensuring employers pay into the Canada Pension Plan for their gig workers, and ensure those workers can access employment insurance benefits, said economist Jim Stanford, director of the Centre for Future Work.
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