Poll Shows Canadians Are In Favor of Reducing Temporary Foreign Worker Program

September 11, 2024 TruthUSA

Canadians show support for a reduction in Ottawa’s temporary foreign worker program as worries about housing and job opportunities grow, according to new polling data.

Forty-three percent of Canadians back the government’s decision to decrease the number of temporary foreign workers in the country, as per a survey conducted by Angus Reid. Only 14 percent approve of the program’s current state, while 22 percent believe the program should be terminated completely.

More than half of Canadians, specifically 55 percent, feel that the original program has had a negative impact on the local job market, with 75 percent stating that it has exacerbated the housing crisis.

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault announced the government’s plan to minimize fraud and misuse of the temporary foreign worker program. These changes, effective from Sept. 26, include rejecting applications in the low-wage stream in metropolitan zones with a 6 percent or higher unemployment rate, as well as imposing a 10 percent ceiling on the number of foreign workers an employer can hire through the program.

Additionally, the maximum employment duration for temporary workers in the low-wage stream will be reduced from two years to one year.

The government’s revisions received backing from voters across the political spectrum. The poll revealed that 54 percent of Liberal supporters, 44 percent of NDP supporters, 42 percent of Bloc Quebecois supporters, and 39 percent of Conservative supporters agree that the scaled-down program should be implemented. Conservative voters were most in favor of discontinuing the program entirely.

“Canadians have become more apprehensive about the overall impact of immigration—four times as many people now consider it a top issue compared to two years ago,” stated Angus Reid in a report presenting its findings.

“For these reasons and possibly others, the willingness to provide a pathway to citizenship for all temporary workers is relatively low among Canadians.”

Among those surveyed, 52 percent oppose granting citizenship to temporary foreign workers under the program, while 36 percent are in favor of it.

Alberta and Ontario, the provinces with the highest temporary worker populations, were most inclined to believe that Canada admits too many temporary workers.

Sixty-six percent of respondents in Alberta and 61 percent in Ontario believe that the country accepts either “way too many” or “too many” workers, compared to 42 percent in Quebec.

Overall, 29 percent of Canadians think that Canada accepts “way too many” temporary foreign workers, while 27 percent think it accepts “too many.” Twenty-four percent believe the country admits the right number, and 6 percent think it takes in too few.

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