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Workers

Canada's Temporary Foreign Workers Program: A Crisis in the Making

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Temporary Foreign Workers Program in Canada has reached unprecedented levels, with over 105,000 permits issued so far in 2025, exceeding its target quota by more than 20 percent. This surge in foreign labor has left many young Canadians struggling to find summer jobs, with statistics showing a 14.6 percent increase in unemployment among this demographic. The program's changes in 2022, eliminating the 10 percent workforce cap and allowing businesses in urban areas to apply without regard for local unemployment rates, have led to this critical situation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Temporary Foreign Workers Program has issued 105,195 permits so far in 2025, exceeding its target quota of 82,000 by more than 20 percent.
  • The program's changes in 2022 have led to an unprecedented number of foreign workers in entry-level positions, leaving many young Canadians without jobs.
  • Youth employment is at its lowest level in over a quarter-century, with a 14.6 percent increase in unemployment among this demographic in July 2025.
  • The Conservative Official Opposition has called for the permanent scrapping of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and immediate termination of new permits.
  • Over the last decade, temporary foreign workers have ballooned to almost two percent of Canada's total private sector workforce.
  • Employment Insurance requests have increased by 7.4 percent since Prime Minister Mark Carney took office, highlighting the program's impact on Canadian workers.
  • Shadow Minister for Immigration, Michelle Rempel Garner, has stated that Canadian youth are trapped, unable to afford homes or start families without good-paying jobs, which are being suppressed by temporary foreign labor.

Statistics:

  • 105,195 permits issued by the Temporary Foreign Workers Program in 2025
  • 109,310 permits issued in 2024
  • 82,000 target quota for 2025
  • 7.4 percent increase in Employment Insurance requests
  • 14.6 percent increase in youth unemployment in July 2025
  • 2 percent of Canada's total private sector workforce comprises temporary foreign workers

Sources:

  • Immigration.ca: "Temporary Foreign Worker Program"
  • Statistics Canada
  • Summerland Review: "Canada's Temporary Foreign Workers Program: A Crisis in the Making"
  • Conservative Party of Canada: Statement by Shadow Minister for Immigration, Michelle Rempel Garner

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