REGINA — The end of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) could have a significant impact on Saskatchewan communities, says an associate professor.
Last week, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani launched a petition to end the TFWP.
Jivani cited foreign workers taking jobs from Canadians and suppressing wages as the reasoning behind the petition.
The TFWP allows Canadian employers to temporarily hire foreign nationals for a variety of jobs to fill gaps in certain labour markets.
Andrew Stevens, an associate professor at the Hill & Levene Schools of Business, who's been studying migrant employment and work, said the province sees thousands of temporary foreign workers yearly.
“We’ve been seeing businesses and policymakers raise concerns about certain labour shortages in fields like healthcare, some skilled trades, food services, and more. So, the provincial government has been listening to those concerns and has tried to create new pathways.”
Those pathways include the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), which gives immigrants with skills needed a faster way to live in the province and become a Canadian citizen.
If the TFWP were to disappear, Steven said, regions, occupations, and more would see the effects.
“Some of our communities would be at a serious disadvantage if they’re seeing depopulation and have a need to hire people for a serving station or the food service industry.”
One argument Jivani has made for the removal of the TFWP is the youth unemployment rate in Canada.
The unemployment rate increased among young men aged 15 to 24 to 15.4 per cent in April, according to Statistics Canada.
He referenced a study done where Stevens applied for jobs in the food industry with replicated resumes, and those received few responses.
“[An] employer could then use that as a justification for using the temporary foreign worker program,” he noted.
In his mind, Jivani “is really feeding off of the public opinion, which has turned dramatically against expanded immigration of all sorts.”
Instead of dismissing foreign workers, Stevens believes that pathways for newcomers need to continue
“Our economic future is going to depend on them coming to this country [and] settling here.”
