6A business group warned on Tuesday that a labour shortage in Canada is
deepening, with more than 430,000 jobs at small and medium-sized firms
remaining unfilled for at least four months.
This is “above the records set before the 2008 financial crisis, and businesses are really feeling the pressure,”
ago, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said in a report.
According
to the government statistical agency, the unemployment rate fell 0.1
percentage points in October to a near-record low of 5.8 percent.
The
labour shortage, according to the CFIB, is particularly acute in the
services, construction, agricultural, and oil and gas sectors, and is
putting upward pressure on wages.
The data release comes as the federal and Quebec governments spar over immigration targets.
Quebec
Premier Francois Legault has pledged to cut immigration, despite the
mostly French-speaking province being hit hardest by a lack of skilled
workers.
“What I hear across Quebec is entrepreneurs, businesses concerned about
the labour shortage, so I’m not sure it’s the best time to cut
immigration,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented.
