Quebec is suspending recruitment days abroad for a period of six months. And their return is uncertain, says the Minister of Immigration.
In an interview with our Parliamentary Office, Minister Jean-François Roberge announced a moratorium on “Québec Days”, which aim to recruit temporary workers for sectors affected by the labor shortage.
“The objective is to take a moment of break and to coordinate the possible resumption of activities – therefore, to be confirmed – with the new multi-year planning,” explains the minister.
It would have been “inconsistent,” he said, to continue recruiting, while Quebec and Ottawa have announced measures to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers.
A freeze on permanent immigration was also recently announced, for a period of eight months, in addition to a bill to regulate the number of foreign students. In the future, both temporary and permanent immigration will be taken into account in government planning, to avoid ending up again in the current situation, with some 600,000 temporary immigrants.
“We cannot, at the same time, reduce and carry out significant recruitment missions,” argues Mr. Roberge.
This freeze, he assures, has no link with the $11 billion deficit that Quebec is seeking to absorb.
A thousand workers
The moratorium, in place from 1is January to June 30, will have an impact on the recruitment of around 1,000 temporary foreign workers.
Until then, an activity already planned will still take place in France, due to the amounts already committed. Sixteen sectors of economic activity will be represented there, including aerospace, batteries and mechanics. But Quebec also uses these missions to recruit nurses and teachers.
In total, ten “Quebec Days” will have been organized in 2024, notably in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil, Colombia and Morocco, for a total cost of approximately $5 million.
Uncertain return
“It is very likely that the Quebec Days will return, but it will depend on the consultations. It might also not come back. It could come back in another form,” said Minister Roberge.
This is because the context has changed since the period of post-pandemic shortage.
Currently, “Quebec is very attractive,” he says. “There are a lot of people who want to come at the moment, without even being asked,” says Jean-François Roberge.
In the meantime, Quebec invites employers to turn to the workforce in Quebec. The unemployment rate is rising, the minister notes, and many asylum seekers have obtained work permits.
“Regain control”
Minister Roberge admits, the various measures announced by the Legault government in recent months constitute a “regain of control” of immigration.
“We cannot continue the recipe that brought us to 600,000 temporary workers on Quebec territory. If we want the results to change, we have to change our processes,” he observes.
Despite this admission, he recalls that Ottawa is responsible for two-thirds of temporary immigrants currently on Quebec territory.
Concerns in the business world
«We understand that decisions must be made to achieve a balanced budget, because Quebec has a historic deficit. Although we expect the government to ensure great budgetary rigor, we must not slow down the engine of our economy which is SMEs..»
– François Vincent, vice-president Quebec, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
«[…] This is a disappointing announcement. While there are more than 13,000 vacant positions in manufacturing, the government seems to be taking lightly the impacts of the labor shortage affecting the sector, both on businesses, but [aussi] on the economy of many regions that depend on manufacturers.»
– Julie White, Vice-President Public Affairs, Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters
“We wonder how the government will be able to resolve workforce problems in health, education and several other sectors without resorting to these Quebec Days. We really don’t see how he will be able to improve public services if we are short of so many workers.”
– Denis Hamel, strategic advisor to the Quebec Employers Council
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