Temporary Foreign Workers: Canadians support reduced program; few want workers to have path to citizenship –

The Full Story

INDEX

Part One: Views of Temporary Foreign Workers program

• Canadians say they hear more negative things than positive ones

• Most say number of workers too high

• Plurality say program should continue with changes

Part Two: Who benefits and loses from TFW program

• Most see a boon for business at the cost of labour market and housing

• Liberal supporters most positive, cross-partisan concern about impact on housing

Part Three: Concerns about treatment of workers, but little support for citizenship

• Majority say businesses that can’t afford to pay wages Canadians will take should close

• Many also say Canadians don’t want to do the jobs TFWs perform

• Majority say businesses treat TFWs unfairly; half say government exploits them

• Citizenship for TFWs not supported by many

Part One: Views of Temporary Foreign Workers program

Canada’s population grew in 2023 at a rate not seen since 1957, the overwhelming majority of which was driven by immigration, both permanent and temporary. In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that temporary immigration had “grown at a rate far beyond what Canada has been able to absorb” and that it needed to “get back under control.” Trudeau’s comments came after the federal government introduced a cap to the number of international students in January. At a summer cabinet retreat, the Liberal government announced plans to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers in the country as well, reversing some changes the government had enacted two years ago as the country exited the pandemic into a labour shortage.

Canadians say they hear more negative things than positive ones

Canadians have evidently heard more bad things than good about the country’s Temporary Foreign Workers program as discussion over its merits and ripple effects has increased. Approaching half (46%) say they’ve seen, read, or heard more negative things about the program than positive ones, outnumbering those who say they’ve seen more positive than negative (19%, see detailed tables).

Most say number of workers too high

As Trudeau and the federal government acknowledge the effects of the rising number of temporary workers on aspects of life like housing, the labour market and public services like health care, Canadians believe the country has admitted too many overall. A majority (55%) say Canada takes in “too many” (27%) or “way too many” (29%) temporary foreign workers. One-quarter (24%) say the country is taking about the right number in, while only one-in-20 (6%) believe Canada is admitting too few.

Alberta and Ontario were the two fastest-growing provinces in 2023, with their populations growing by 4.3 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively. As well, the temporary worker population in those two provinces grew significantly in the past year – from 360,000 to 557,000 in Ontario and 76,000 to 131,000 in Alberta. People living in those two provinces are also the most likely to say Canada takes in “way too many” temporary workers:

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accused the Liberal federal government of “destroying” Canada’s immigration system, arguing the Temporary Foreign Worker program should “only be available to fill jobs that employers have proven beyond a doubt cannot be filled by Canadians.” Likely Conservative voters are more likely than others to believe Canada is taking in too many temporary foreign workers.

Those who would vote Liberal if an election were held today are the most likely to believe Canada is taking in the right number, while likely NDP and Bloc Québécois voters lean towards believing Canada takes in too many rather than too few temporary workers:

Plurality say program should continue with changes

To scale back the number of temporary foreign workers in the country, the federal government announced the roll back of some changes to the program it had implemented when the country was facing a post-pandemic labour shortage in 2022. These changes, including reducing the percentage of a business’s workforce that can be comprised of temporary foreign workers, are widely supported by a majority of Canadians:

With those changes, a plurality (43%) believe the program should continue in its reduced form. One-in-seven (14%) believe the changes were unnecessary, while one-in-five (22%) say the program should be eliminated altogether. CPC supporters are the most likely (34%) to believe that the TFW program should be abolished, but more (39%) support the program continuing in its reduced form. A plurality of likely NDP (44%) and Bloc Québécois (42%) voters and a majority of Liberals (54%) agree:

Part Two: Who benefits and loses from TFW program

Most see a boon for business at the cost of labour market and housing

Canadians were asked to assess the Temporary Foreign Workers program and whether it is good or bad for businesses, the workers themselves, prices of goods in Canada, the labour market for Canadians, the housing situation and Canada’s economy in general. Canadians view businesses who hire temporary workers as clear beneficiaries of the program (75% say the program is good for businesses), while a majority (53%) also say the program is good for the workers who come to Canada.

There is less certainty if the TFW program has a positive (43%) or negative (40%) effect on Canada’s economy, or on the prices Canadians pay on goods (41% good, 30% bad). A majority say the program has a negative impact on the labour market for Canadian workers (54%). Three-quarters (75%) believe the program is “bad” for housing in this country. Concern over the housing crisis has played a key role in the government’s decision to alter immigration targets and temporary worker permits.

Liberal supporters most positive, cross-partisan concern about impact on housing

Views on the benefits and drawbacks of the Temporary Foreign Workers program vary by political leanings. Across the board, Canadians of all political stripes are more likely to believe the influx of temporary workers is harming Canada’s housing situation than helping. On other matters, there is more disagreement. Likely Liberal voters are more likely to see the program having benefits for the labour market, Canada’s economy and prices for goods than not. Those who intend to vote Conservative are more critical of the program and are more likely to believe it is bad for Canada’s economy:

Men under 35 are the most likely to say the program has more downsides than benefits. Older Canadians are more likely to believe the program is “good” for Canada’s economy. There is agreement across generations that temporary foreign workers are straining Canada’s housing supply:

Part Three: Concerns about treatment of workers, but little support for citizenship

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers program has been criticized by the United Nations. A report written by a UN special rapporteur called the program a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery”, after he had heard reports of abuses within the program, including employers underpaying workers, confiscating documents and not allowing the workers access to proper protective equipment or health care. The federal government has objected to the phrase “contemporary slavery”.

Majority say businesses that can’t afford to pay wages Canadians will take should close

There has been criticism from elsewhere of the so-called “low-wage” stream of the program, with some arguing it should be abolished because it makes it harder for Canadians to find jobs and suppresses the wages in the labour market in general.

A majority (62%) believe that businesses that can’t afford to pay wages Canadians will take shouldn’t be in business. Younger Canadians are more likely to believe this than older ones:

Historically, Temporary Foreign Workers have played an important role in rural communities, especially when it comes to farming, an industry which has relied on temporary workers seasonally to harvest crops. Canadians living in rural areas are more likely to disagree that businesses shouldn’t be operating if they can only hire temporary workers at low wages (see detailed tables).

Many also say Canadians don’t want to do the jobs TFWs perform

One Ontarian farmer told CBC news that without temporary foreign workers, he would not be able to find anybody to harvest fruits and vegetables. Most Canadians (61%) believe that temporary foreign workers fill jobs that Canadians would not. Men under 35 are the most likely to disagree (47%). Younger Canadians have struggled with higher unemployment in recent months. In June, the unemployment rate for those under 25 was double the rate of the overall population. One-in-five (19%) Canadians under 35 say jobs/unemployment is one of the top issues facing the country.

Related: Federal Politics: Concern over immigration quadruples over last 48 months

Majority say businesses treat TFWs unfairly; half say government exploits them

As noted above, a United Nations’ report compared the Temporary Foreign Workers program to a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery”. Canadians also have their misgivings of the program, with a majority disagreeing that temporary workers are treated fairly by employers. Men, especially those older than 34, are more likely to believe employers are treating temporary foreign workers well:

Blame over abuse and exploitation is not limited to businesses, however. Half of Canadians (49%) say that the Canadians government is complicit in exploitation, with this view increasing among younger residents:

Another group more likely to view the program as exploitative are non-white Canadians. The proportion of this group saying the government is exploiting workers is 14 points higher than among white respondents (see detailed tables).

Citizenship for TFWs not supported by many

While support for continuing with the Temporary Worker Program in a modified form is relatively high, as seen earlier in this report, the idea that workers should have a pathway to citizenship is not. Slightly more than one-in-three (36%) Canadians say that they would have citizenship available for TFWs to progress toward, while half (52%) disagree.

Would-be Liberal and NDP voters are more likely to support a path to citizenship, though large portions of each group still disagree (see detailed tables). Paths to citizenship for temporary workers are currently varied based on the assessed skill of the position and the offer of a permanent position, among other factors.

Survey Methodology:

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Aug. 29 to Sept. 4, 2024 among a representative randomized sample of 1,602 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.

For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, click here.

For the full release including methodology, click here.

For the questionnaire, click here. 

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Shachi Kurl, President: 604.908.1693 shachi.kurl@angusreid.org @shachikurl

Dave Korzinski, Research Director: 250.899.0821 dave.korzinski@angusreid.org

Jon Roe, Research Associate: 825.437.1147 jon.roe@angusreid.org @thejonroe