Some P.E.I. employers worried Ottawa's temporary worker cap will leave them short-staffed

Some P.E.I. employers worry they'll be scrambling to fill labour gaps if the federal government caps the number of temporary foreign workers in the country.  

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Thursday that the federal government is planning to reduce the proportion of temporary residents in Canada's population over the next three years.

Temporary residents made up 6.2 per cent of Canada's population in 2023, and the government is working to reduce that share to five per cent by 2027.

From seafood processing plants to restaurants, it's no secret that many Island employers have become reliant on temporary foreign workers.

David Groom, owner of the Quality Inn and Brothers 2 restaurant in Summerside, said there just aren't enough local applicants for roles like housekeeping and cooking. 

He said a couple of his employees are temporary foreign workers. He suspects he may need to recruit more for the busy season ahead, as he tries to fill openings.  

"This is a process we've been [using] since 2018 because we can't find the local individuals that want to do these particular jobs, so it forced us to go this direction," said Groom. "If that's going to dry up, it's going to be a real difficulty in the industry as a whole." 

On Thursday, federal Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault said that as of May 1, the government will start reducing the number of temporary foreign workers that employers in certain sectors are allowed to hire.

Ottawa rolled out temporary measures in April 2022 allowing employers in the accommodation and food service sectors, among others facing labour shortages, to hire up to 30 per cent of their workforce through the Temporary Foreign Worker program for low-wage positions.

Boissonnault said the cap will be cut to 20 per cent for most sectors. 

There will also be more stringent requirements for employers to prove they can't find local help.

Foreign workers make up 35 to 40 per cent of staffing at P.E.I. seafood processing plants, according to the province's Seafood Processors Association. 

Executive director Bob Creed said it's not clear if — or how — the new rules will affect those plants.

"Quite frankly, without the temporary foreign worker program it would be very difficult for seafood processing in P.E.I. to continue," he said.