The continuing labour crunch is being described as the “single biggest issue facing employers” in all sectors and pressure is being put on the federal government to deal with a backlog in applications.
Acting Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Employers Council, Jaclyn Sullivan, says the labour shortage is most noticeable in the service industry, but it’s affecting everything from government to manufacturing.
Sullivan says a variety of factors are contributing to the problem, not the least of which is the province’s aging demographics and a slowdown in immigration during the pandemic. Add to that a significant backlog in the processing of immigration applications by the federal government.
Sullivan says the province is doing its part to attract greater immigration, but the federal government needs to step up and add greater resources to the effort.
She says there are only two federal immigration officers in all of Atlantic Canada. They’ve been meeting with federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan to discuss their concerns.