Canada has seen a significant decrease in the number of temporary foreign worker (TFW) applications. Nation-wide the number of applications being processed has dropped by three-quarters following the new rules introduced by the federal government in June. The number of applications received in July and August 2014 is approximately 74 per cent lower than those received over the same time period in 2012.
The new rules require employers not to cut down the hours of Canadian workers or lay them off at work sites that employ TFWs. Such rules and changes have received a not-so-hot reception from employers in Alberta and Nova Scotia, who say they can’t find Canadian workers to fill low-skilled jobs.
Employers in the Lakeland are feeling the heat like no other as operational hours for the local business sector will slowly start to decline. The Lakeland is home to more than 700 TFWs and the fight to have Alberta except from the program’s new rules continues.