06 May 2008

Job market in Canada relies on more immigration

If the rate of Canadian immigration does not increase, the country will not have enough workers in ten years, according to the government. Despite the country's workforce increasing by 200 per cent in the past 50 years, analysts predict this will stay at 11 per cent over the next 50 years, reports Canada.com.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper commented last year that the lack of skilled workers was the number one economic problem in the country, saying that in a decade or two there will not be enough employees to fill the vacancies.

Monte Solberg, the Human Resources Minister, told the website: "Baby boomers are set to retire and our low birth rate means demand for workers will soon outstrip supply. Our demographics are working against us."

A recent initiative was announced to fast-track the Canadian visa applications of some workers in order to solve some of these shortages, but with 325,000 new jobs being created in the country over the last 12 months many more applicants are needed.

Canada welcomes new immigrants: The Canadian Visa Bureau can assist skilled workers interested in Canadian immigration. More information on Canadian visas is available on the website. Anyone applying for a Canadian visa should begin by completing the online Canadian visa application to see if they meet the legislative requirements.