Businesses call on government to make it easier to hire foreigners
Companies believe that this will help them make up for staffing shortages.
Labour shortages are one problem Canada has faced before, but the pandemic has exacerbated it. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reports that more than half of small businesses suffer from labour shortages, according to their survey.
About a third of small businesses noted that they close or delay projects, refuse new contracts and lose profits because of personnel problems. And 16% of companies have to spend more money to retain employees: they have to offer higher salaries, flexible schedules and even pay employment bonuses.
CFIB notes that raising wages in order to retain employees is not the answer, because increased costs for companies will inevitably lead to higher prices and inflation.
Business leaders believe the most effective solution is to automate work processes and bring in employees from abroad. Looking by sector, historically foreign workers have been most successful in agriculture and professional services. They have also often been able to address labor shortages in manufacturing and retail businesses, as well as in financial and administrative institutions.
Despite this, only 16% of the companies surveyed responded that they hire foreigners to fill vacancies. The fact is that hiring foreign specialists is a time-consuming and expensive process that small companies cannot always afford.
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