Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - December 2006
In a report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Immigration and Small Business: Ideas to Better Respond to Canada�s Skills and Labour Shortage, it was revealed that the Canadian immigration system is not addressing the problem of labor shortages in non-professional enterprises and this effect has been detrimental to economic growth. More than half of small businesses in Alberta are operating with fewer employees and must pass on new business opportunities due to labor shortages.
Dan Kelly, president of CFIB, states that the Canada�s immigration system is mismatching the needs of the economy as it is heavily favoring highly skilled and professional immigrants over medium and entry level immigrants.
Kelly states that jobs that are in short supply should be addressed by the immigration system, not just highly skilled occupations.
This is a big concern in Alberta where the shortage in labor is �at its highest point ever (78 per cent) among small- and medium-sized business owners�. The combined effect of a job boom and aging demographics indicates that Alberta is facing a labor shortage and will continue to lack a big pool of workers to recruit from.
Following a survey based on more than 12,000 small businesses across Canada and a variety of experts in the field, the report makes 50 recommendations on how to improve the system and ease the immigration red tape. The report was presented to Federal Citizenship and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg; Solberg has made efforts in recent months to address the shortage by easing some of the restrictions for companies in Alberta that want to hire foreign workers.
Kelly does state that immigration is just part of the solution of solving the labor crisis, and that much more needs to be done.
Source: Canwest News Service; www.canada.com
