Recent changes to international student and temporary foreign worker permits are having a negative effect on local businesses.
This has sparked a Call to Action by Community Futures Pacific Northwest over concerns that businesses will lose their employee pool.
“Before COVIC, the Trudeau government knew we were going to have massive labor shortages due to the baby boomers leaving the marketplace with nobody to step in for them,” said Executive Director John Farrell.
In September last year, the federal government put limits on the number of temporary foreign workers a business could hire and later dropped the number of international student visas that could be permitted.
“For places like Prince Rupert and across northwest B.C., what ended up happening is we lost not only highly skilled labor but all the people who are entry level,” Farrell said.
In Prince Rupert, three restaurants employed about 90 per cent foreign workers with a refrigeration company’s entire staff being from out of the country.
Other businesses feeling the sting include Walmart, Save-on Foods, Tim Horton’s, McDonalds, and Subway.
He added businesses across the region want to hire local workers but aren’t getting the applications.
“Community Futures just did a job fair where we were matching employers with job seekers and 80 to 90 per cent of those carrying a resume were from away,” said Farrell.
High school students in the region are looking for higher than minimum wage jobs he said, instead of going for the entry level jobs they once did.
“And the market’s changed. I don’t know of too many businesses that are offering minimum wage. Most of them are offering $20 and above an hour,” Farrell added.
On June 25th, the organization hosted an event in Prince Rupert about the Call to Action with 80 signatures added to the cause.
That number has since increased to 100.
“When the North Central Local Government Association was having their conference [in Prince Rupert] last month, I met with every mayor from here to Prince George including from the Peace and the Cariboo, and they were all in consensus,” he said.
Farrell added Prince Rupert is home to the second largest port in western Canada which relies on local businesses to serve its employees.
Businesses wishing to sign the Call to Action in Prince Rupert, Port Edward, Terrace, and Kitimat can do so at their local municipal office.
Discussions are underway so businesses in Smithers to sign at its municipal office.
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