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OTTAWA — The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says the entire temporary foreign worker program needs a “meticulous review” in the face of growing calls for its termination.
In a letter sent to the federal employment and immigration ministers last week, the chamber says the data indicates the link between high youth unemployment and temporary workers is “generally weak.”
Diana Palmerin-Velasco, senior director of the chamber’s future of work department, said the chamber decided to send the letter because of growing “misconceptions” about youth unemployment and the temporary foreign worker program.
“We sent this letter because we feel that the immigration system is facing a crisis. It doesn’t seem to be working well for anyone, not for newcomers, not for employers. It has become too complicated,” she told The Canadian Press.
“There are no clear rules and predictability, and this letter comes out of a concern that we might be forgetting that immigration is actually an economic imperative.”
Palmerin-Velasco said that people aged 15 to 24 typically aren’t applying for the jobs that tend to be occupied by temporary workers. She said these jobs are primarily in more rural and remote communities and often involve overnight shifts.
Key sectors identified by the chamber as having “persistent labour challenges” include agriculture, construction, accommodation, food processing and food services.
A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab’s office said in an email that 39,150 temporary foreign workers arrived in Canada between Jan. 1 and July 31 of this year. The program’s target intake for this year is 82,000.
The Conservatives have been calling on the government to end the temporary worker program due to high youth unemployment.
Statistics Canada reported the youth unemployment rate was 14.5 per cent in August.
The government said last year that it will refuse to issue a labour market impact assessment — the permit needed to hire someone through the temporary foreign worker program — in a jurisdiction where the local unemployment rate is above six per cent.
Employment Minister Patty Hajdu’s press secretary, Jennifer Kozelj, said in an emailed statement that temporary foreign workers make up “approximately one per cent of the labour force in Canada.”
“Because of restrictions put in place, the flow of low wage foreign workers is down 70 per cent this year,” Kozelj said.
“Canada remains on track to sustainably manage temporary resident levels as outlined in the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan. Our work to reduce the reliance of Canadian employers on the (temporary foreign worker program) is part of that plan. The government will have more to say about this in upcoming Immigration Levels Plan.”
The updated levels plan is expected to be released before Nov. 1.
The chamber’s letter says the government should gather better data on the International Mobility Program, adding there are few ways to identify how and where people are working under this program.
The International Mobility Program allows employers to hire a temporary foreign worker without a labour market impact assessment. This is allowed under certain free trade deals, like CUSMA, or for individuals who bring particular economic, competitive or cultural benefits to Canada.
“Let’s make sure that those programs, and the people that get work permits under those programs, are actually contributing to Canada’s economy,” Palmerin-Velasco said.
The admissions target for the International Mobility Program this year is just under 286,000, and is set to fall to about 129,000 next year under the Immigration Levels Plan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2025.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
