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business groups decry quebec's restrictions on temporary foreign workers
the six-month freeze will exacerbate montreal's labour shortage, they say.
aug 20 2024
3 minute read
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business groups are asking quebec to reconsider new restrictions on temporary foreign workers , arguing they will further exacerbate labour shortages in montreal.
on tuesday, quebec announced a six-month freeze on both applications and renewals for its temporary foreign worker program in montreal specifically, citing a need to decrease the overall number of temporary immigrants in the province to protect the french language and relieve pressure on public services. according to business groups, the restrictions don’t take the reality of the labour market into account.
“we’re not happy with the announcement,” michel leblanc, the chamber of commerce of metropolitan montreal president, said in an interview. “we understand fully the government wants to control the volume of immigrants and that includes, of course, the temporary worker program. what we’re worried about is that it’s not only that we’re freezing the … new permits, but we’re freezing the renewals of those who were already here.”
he noted that businesses resort to using temporary foreign workers mainly when quebecers aren’t available, meaning it could be difficult to replace employees whose jobs will be lost over the next six months as a result of the freeze on renewals.
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“what we’re saying to these businesses is … ‘you’re on your own, find a solution,’ ” leblanc said. “we dislike that.”
at the news conference announcing the freeze, premier françois legault said there will be exceptions in the sectors of health, education, construction and agriculture, and for workers who earn more than the province’s median salary of $57,000.
“it’s strategic,” legault said. “these are people who are trained, who have strategic positions, so we’re not talking about cheap labour, we’re talking about important jobs.”
leblanc said that’s proof the government is aware the labour market is tight, “but they’re telling the private sector: find your own staff, and we’re freezing for you.”
françois vincent, the canadian federation of independent business (cfib) vice-president for quebec, called the freeze a case of “do what i say, not what i do” since the exceptions will mainly benefit the public sector.
both leblanc and vincent said they fear small businesses will bear the brunt of the freeze. in 2024, the cfib identified labour shortages as one of the main constraints limiting sales and production for small- and medium-sized businesses in montreal.
“the program was the solution,” leblanc said. “for many of them who already have those workers, we’re creating a new problem.”
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“it’s not something that will help small businesses in montreal,” vincent added. “a big part of the economy of quebec is from montreal.”
the cfib said a 2021 report found that 16 per cent of small- and medium-sized businesses used the temporary worker program to resolve labour issues, with a success rate of 52 per cent.
during tuesday’s announcement, legault said there are about 60,000 temporary foreign workers in the province through the program, 12,000 of them in montreal. leblanc estimates about 3,000 will be affected by the freeze on renewals over the next six months.
“it means a lot for those probably 2,000 small businesses to lose those workers,” he said.
karl blackburn, the president and ceo of the conseil du patronat du québec (cpq), said in a statement that he expects the freeze to affect the service, retail, catering and manufacturing industries and, by extension, the population.
“today’s announcement will have a definite impact on the cost and access to many goods and services for montrealers,” he said. “montrealers will see their spending increase, adding to the inflationary pressure that is already reducing their purchasing power.”
the manufacturiers et exportateurs du québec (meq) also voiced concern about the freeze, noting there are currently 2,890 vacant positions in the manufacturing sector in montreal.
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“companies would not recruit from abroad if the labour pool already established here could meet demand,” meq president and director-general véronique proulx said in a statement.
the group is calling on the government to add manufacturing to the list of exempted sectors.
the cpq, meanwhile, wants special support measures to help businesses targeted by the freeze.
the chamber of commerce of metropolitan montreal hopes the government will reverse the decision to freeze renewals, and the cfib hopes quebec will reassess the decision overall.
“a business owner won’t apply, do the paperwork and pay thousands of dollars to get an employee from abroad for fun — it’s because it is vital for the business,” vincent said.
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