Program for Temporary Foreign Workers Not Monitored for Impact on Canadian Labour Market: Federal Document

A federal immigration program allowing employers to hire temporary foreign workers does not have a mechanism to systemically assess the program’s impact on the Canadian labour market, according to an internal government report.
The immigration department “does not systematically monitor labour market impacts” of the program, the report said, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Data gaps … make it difficult to measure the full extent of program benefits relative to risks for unintended consequences, such as displacement of Canadian workers and wage suppression,” it said.
The IMP “is built on the assumption that benefits to Canada from the facilitation of select foreign workers exceed any potential harm to the domestic labour market,” the report said. “However, document review and key informants pointed out that labour market impacts are not monitored.”
The report said while “many LMIA exemptions under the IMP are thought to help attract and retain top talent in Canada,” a review of internal and external documents found criticisms of the potential impact on the labour market.
The Epoch Times contacted the immigration department for comment but did not immediately hear back.
The government said the new limits were being introduced to alleviate pressures on housing, infrastructure, and social services.