April 24, 2014
Changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program between 2002 and 2012, which made it easier to hire foreign workers, accelerated the rise in unemployment in Alberta and British Columbia, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada: Are They Really Filling Labour Shortages?”, author Dominique M. Gross finds that easier access to foreign labour can generate undesirable incentives on the part of employers and prospective workers. She recommends changes to the TFW program.