Rising job vacancies in Ontario, desperate need for more foreign workers

Highlights of critical worker shortage affecting retailers in Ontario

• Retailers in Ontario are facing acute worker shortages, opening opportunities for skilled migrant workers
• Job vacancies in Ontario have climbed 46.5% in Q2 of 2022 in comparison with Q2 of 2021
• Employers in regional areas of Canada are in dire need of attracting enough foreign workers to work for them
• There are demands from business groups in Ontario to the immigration minister to increase the allocation for immigrants under OINP

The jobs in Canada are increasing exponentially. The country is making all efforts to find the required number of workers in almost every sector of the industry. The job market situation in Ontario, the biggest city in Canada is no different. Job vacancies in Ontario are also reaching new heights and the province is trying hard to fill them through increased regional immigration.

Ontario is facing an acute shortage of workers in its retail industry. The retailers here are concerned as the Christmas season is close at hand. Statistics Canada has revealed that Jobs in Ontario have climbed 46.5% in Q2 of 2022 in comparison with Q2 of 2021. In Q2 of 2021, the number of job vacancies was 264,530 which reached 387,235 in Q2 of 2022.

Despite the native population of Ontario keeping their jobs, there is a dearth of workers to meet the demand in the retail industry. Between Q1 and Q2 of 2022, job vacancies have increased in Ontario by 15%.

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The real concerns of rural communities

Employers in rural communities are finding it difficult to attract enough foreign workers with temporary work visas. A major reason is their inability to establish during the LMIA submissions that the lack of workers is real and growing.

As a solution to this situation, regional immigration pilot programs have been introduced. These programs help in filling local labor shortages and foster economic growth in rural areas and small communities therein. The significant role these pilot programs play in sourcing foreign workers makes it almost a necessity to convert them into permanent programs.

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Responses from business groups in Ontario

Business groups in Ontario are urging the immigration minister that the allocation for economic immigrants under OINP be increased. This demand could work favorably for skilled immigrants if it’s implemented. More immigrants could join the Canadian workforce and can get the benefits of unexplored opportunities in regional areas and communities in Ontario.

The present situation in Ontario is that there are about a million jobs vacant in Ontario and employers in the province are now seeking more foreign workers to fill them. For this, they are making use of the economic immigration pathways in Canada.

*Know your eligibility to immigrate to Canada through Y-Axis Canada Immigration Points Calculator.

The bottom line

In Canada, businesses are hit with a shortage of workers that run into huge numbers. They need foreign workers in large numbers if they want to improve their production capability. These businesses are aware of options available to them to find foreign workers like

• TFWP (Temporary Foreign Worker Program) and
• IMP (International Mobility Program).

It’s notable that GTS, which is a part of TFWP, features faster processing of work permit applications. These fast visa processing programs help migrants get a visa/permit within 2 weeks.

You as a potential immigrant can also take the Express Entry pathway to move to Canada. If you can obtain a Canada PR visa through PNP (Provincial Nominee Program), you could immigrate to Ontario. You can take advantage of the fruitful career opportunities presented by the province.

If you are willing to migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the leading immigration and career consultant in the world.

Also Read: Canada to invite 23,100 Parents and Grandparents under PGP, 2022

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